Serving officer convicted of sexually assaulting colleague
A serving British Transport Police (BTP) officer has been convicted of sexually assaulting a colleague after a night out.
Police Sergeant Tristan Davis was found guilty at Inner London Crown Court on Friday (October 14) of three counts of sexual assault, said BTP. He will be sentenced on November 18.
BTP said Davis sexually assaulted a female officer on an escalator in London Bridge station as they travelled back from a night out socialising with colleagues on April 23, last year.
“The pair boarded the same train where he went onto sexually assault the victim two further times despite her making numerous attempts to push him away,” the force said.
“The victim was forced to leave her seat and stand in the aisle to escape Davis.”
She reported the incident to BTP’s Professional Standards Department and Davis was immediately suspended while a criminal investigation took place.
In his police interview, Davis tried to claim to detectives his behaviour was “playful”.
Following his conviction, BTP said a fast-track misconduct hearing will now be held to determine the future of his employment.
Deputy Chief Constable Alistair Sutherland said: “I would like to be completely clear that Tristan Davis does not represent the values of BTP officers.
“In this case, thanks to the victim coming forward and bringing it to our attention, detectives launched a thorough investigation into Davis so we could bring him before the courts to face justice today.
“Put simply, behaviour like this is not “playful” – it is a serious criminal offence and it will always be treated as such.
“I am acutely aware of how damaging incidents like this are to public confidence in policing, and I am equally as appalled that a serving officer could ever think to conduct themselves in such a way.
“I would like to reassure the public that we will always relentlessly challenge and thoroughly investigate any officer who breaks the law or falls short of the exemplary standards we expect.”