Police officer found guilty after sex in patrol car scandal
Derbyshire cop Police Constable Matthew Longmate, 47, has been convicted of misconduct in public office. The shocking ruling follows a four-day trial at Southwark Crown Court over a 2015 incident involving sexual activity during a night patrol in Chesterfield.
Sexual misconduct caught on night shift
The scandal blew open after the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched a probe in November 2021. Longmate and a colleague bumped into a woman being kicked out of a nightclub. Instead of professional conduct, the officers offered her a lift home – and then had sex with her inside the police vehicle.
Colleague already caught and sentenced
The IOPC moved in after Derbyshire Constabulary tipped them off during an investigation into Longmate’s colleague, ex-PC Daniel Nash. Nash admitted 14 counts of misconduct and was handed a two-year suspended sentence last August before his death in September.
Force vows to clean house
Deputy Chief Constable Simon Blatchly condemned the officers’ behaviour, calling it a “serious betrayal of trust” that harmed vulnerable people. He stressed the incident was isolated and insisted no other officers were involved. Longmate’s case is now set for sentencing on January 15, 2024.
Derbyshire Police confirmed they will pursue gross misconduct charges and urged anyone with information about inappropriate behaviour by officers to come forward to protect the force’s reputation.
