Former police officer who had sexual relationship with domestic abuse victim jailed

Liam Mills, 34, was sentenced to nine months imprisonment at Sheffield Crown Court after he pleaded to two counts of misconduct in a public office and a data protection offence.

The former police constable took a statement from the woman at a police station in Barnsley in August 2021, after she claimed to have been the victim of coercive control and domestic abuse.

She also told the officer she had recently taken an overdose of painkillers and previously struggled with an eating disorder and low self esteem.

Thomas Storey, prosecuting, said Mills realised she was “extremely emotionally fragile and vulnerable” but he began texting her from his work phone and then his personal phone.

He said the messages became “increasingly flirtatious” the following week and then “overtly and explicitly sexual”.

The officer had sex with the woman several times and on two occasions he was on duty and drove to her house in a marked police vehicle.

The father-of-three also sent her confidential details about incidents he had been called to and several videos, including one of a murder scene and another of him restraining a man who was high on drugs in hospital.

After he told a colleague about the relationship, he was reported to a senior officer and arrested on September 18. He resigned from the force before appearing in court.

Steven Reed, who represented the defendant, said his client “fully accepts” responsibility for his actions and is “genuinely remorseful”.

The court also heard that shortly before their relationship began, Mills had sent texts to a student after being called to her house while on duty due to concerns about her mental health, but she asked him to stop because she felt uncomfortable.

Judge Jeremy Richardson, Recorder of Sheffield, said: “It is truly a shameful thing for a police officer to have conducted himself in the way you did. There can be no doubt that your conduct warrants an immediate custodial sentence.”

He said the public need to be assured that police officers who abuse their position of trust will be punished appropriately.

“It gives me absolutely no pleasure to send an otherwise good police officer to prison immediately. But I tell you, frankly, that I would be failing in my public duty if I did anything other than that,” he added.

“You are the architect of this catastrophe. Only you are to blame. And I have little doubt that great shame has not only been brought upon you by your conduct, but you have also brought great shame upon your family.”

South Yorkshire Police said the officer has faced a misconduct hearing and been told he would have been sacked, if he had not already resigned.

Deputy Chief Constable Tim Forber said: "This is an utterly appalling case of a police officer exploiting vulnerable victims of crime who were in need of our help and support. I am satisfied Mills is now in jail where he rightly belongs."Mills' misconduct was unforgivable and I assure you that within the force, colleagues are as sickened by his behaviour as members of the public will be."