Policeman jailed over sex with vulnerable woman

Lee Wilcox, 45, a serving officer for 23 years, had twice helped the woman last year while on duty with South Yorkshire Police and was aware of her personal problems.

On the first occasion in May he had talked to her and built up a rapport when she was threatening to jump from a window and on the second time, he went to her home in Doncaster in the early hours of June 8 when she was involved in a domestic dispute.

Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday it was when the police constable ended his shift and went off duty later that morning he returned to the woman’s home and had sex with her.

Kitty Taylor, prosecuting, said CCTV from nearby showed he spent around half-an-hour at the 34-year-old woman’s bedsit after calling her when he left work.

Wilcox, who admitted misconduct, has since resigned from the force, describing the incident as a “moment of madness” which cost him the job he loved, his counsel Paul Worsley told court.

Sentencing Wilcox, the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC, said he had read numerous documents describing the high regard he was held in by his seniors and colleagues and had been seen as a role model for younger officers.

But in June last year, “ignoring all that you knew about what was acceptable and unacceptable, you took advantage of your position as a constable.

“Mr Worsley says what you did was not as bad as an officer who steals police funds, or corrupts others or who goes over to the other side and perverts the course of justice. I disagree.”

Judge Collier said Wilcox was aware of the woman’s vulnerability because of the dealings he had with her during the course of his job.

“It was in those circumstance you took advantage of your position, which was clearly one of power as far as human relationships were concerned. That’s how she would see you and you abused your position and your power when you went to her home again on that morning when you came off duty and there you had sex with her.

“It was a serious abuse of your position and a serious abuse of a vulnerable person.

“I accept it was an isolated incident, I accept that one day has ruined your life and undoubtedly caused further damage to a vulnerable person, the harm therefore done by your action is real.”

Judge Collier said there had to be an immediate jail sentence. “It has to be made clear to all constables, if they abuse their position in this way inevitably prison will follow.”

Miss Taylor told the court through Wilcox’s contact with the vulnerable woman on the two occasions he knew she had taken overdoses in the past. On May 25 he had helped coax her off a ledge when she was threatening to jump from a window before going to the hospital with her.

He had even built up a rapport with her on that occasion joking she try a dating website uniformdating.com.

After attending the domestic incident at her home twice in the early hours of June 8, he made a report that the incident appeared to be resolved but at about 7am made a call to her to minutes before going into her home still in his uniform although he had left his body armour, gas spray and radio at the station.

She subsequently reported the incident to the police and he was arrested.

Mr Worsley told the court at the time Wilcox was having marriage problems and was at a low ebb. He deeply regretted what had happened.

“This is not a man who is a sexual predator, this is a man who has ended up deeply upset in his home life and has finally allowed it to impinge upon his professional life.”

He said Wilcox had received numerous commendations during his career including a national police bravery award presented to him by Gordon Brown for rescuing a man from a burning house.

The court heard Wilcox was now retraining as a security officer and hoping to save his marriage.