Former officer pleads guilty to assaulting woman

Paul Whitehurst appeared at Chester Crown Court on Monday (June 24) where he pleaded guilty to four counts of section 39 assault.

The 53-year-old of Barony Road in Nantwich, Cheshire, has been remanded in custody and is set to be sentenced on Monday  July 29.

The charges relate to four incidents involving a woman from Nantwich, which occurred between October and December 2023.

During one of the incidents Whitehurst pushed the victim across a caravan following a disagreement between the pair, on another occasion he verbally abused her and threw a pint over her after she spoke to another man at a pub.

In the final attack he pinned his victim to the floor following another disagreement.

Warwickshire Police  said Whitehurst, who was formerly based in the force’s professional standards department, is no longer employed by the force.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Flavell from Warwickshire Police professional standards department said: “I would like to pay tribute to the victim in this case who has shown great bravery in reporting her ordeal to police, supporting this investigation, and ensuring Whitehurst faced justice.

“The public place their trust in police officers to uphold the law and look out for the most vulnerable members of society.

“Unfortunately, offences such as this damage confidence in policing. We will continue to work with our communities to rebuild this confidence by embedding the values of respect, empathy, and public service in the force. I’m sure I speak for the vast majority of police officers and staff when I say we remain committed to tackling the behaviour of the small number of officers who bring our profession into disrepute.”

Following the guilty plea, Detective Constable Lauren Constable, from the investigating force Cheshire Constabulary, said: “Police officers are placed in a position of trust and there are clear guidelines about the standards expected from them, both in and out of work.

“Whitehurst was aware of these standards, but sadly he chose to ignore them. Not only did he assault his victim multiple times, but he also went on to breach the bail conditions that were set for him by the court.

“I would like to take this as an opportunity to thank the victim for the bravery she has shown throughout this case, and I hope that the guilty plea will provide her with some closure.

“As this case demonstrates, Cheshire Constabulary is committed to investigating all offences – no matter who the alleged offender is. Police officers, staff and volunteers are not above the law and will be treated in the same way as any other suspect.”