North Yorkshire Police officer acquitted of sexual assault

Stonefall Cemetery in Wetherby Road, Harrogate,

A North Yorkshire Police officer accused of sexually assaulting a woman while he was on duty has been acquitted.

PC Christopher Hudson was accused of assaulting the woman in a police van, while he was parked at Stonefall Cemetery on Wetherby Road in Harrogate, on February 8 in 2021.

During a trial at Leeds Crown Court, the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he grabbed her by the back of the neck, kissed her and touched her inner thigh without her consent.

The 32-year-old officer, who was charged with one count of sexual assault, denied wrongdoing.

Defence barrister Rebecca Hadgett said there were “inconsistencies” in the woman’s account of events and that Mr Hudson “never touched her in the way she alleges”.

The jury ultimately returned a verdict of not guilty.

Hudson, of Hollin Terrace in Huddersfield, was suspended by North Yorkshire Police after the allegation was made, pending the outcome of the trial.