Merseyside police officer engaged in sexual activity with domestic abuse victims at work

A Merseyside cop has appeared in court after being accused of ‘deliberately’ establishing sexual relationships and inappropriate contact with victims of abuse.

Police constable, Adam Hoyle, admits two misconduct offences involving sexual activity with two women but is on trial after denying two further misconduct charges involving similar behaviour with two other women.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday (September 12) that the case follows an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct into his actions. Investigations began after concerns were raised by his then-wife in respect of his sexual relationships.

Steven Swift prosecuting said: “The defendant chose to deliberately established sexual relationships and inappropriate contact with victims of domestic abuse and sexual abuse within a domestic context that he encountered while they were looking to the police for support. The Crown say he took advantage of his position to befriend and consequently thereafter to engage in sexual activity with them.”

The jury heard that Hoyle sometimes arranged to meet one of them at a police station where instead of taking any details from her he kissed and groped her. He also allegedly used the police computer system to access information relating to her without any legitimate purpose.

Further allegations: The other relationship, which he denies, allegedly involved him regularly calling at the woman’s home and their activity developed from kissing to sexual intercourse.

Mr Swift said that she recalled his police uniform on the bedroom floor and having sex with him “every few days” over about three months. He also sometimes even stayed overnight.

Their relationship came to light on January 31 this year when she rang 999 after hearing on BBC Radio Merseyside that he had been arrested for misconduct. When she was questioned by police she told how she had reported harassment by her ex-partner in February 2016 and Hoyle was allocated to attend.

Mr Swift said that the next day he told her he was no longer dealing with the matter but he began messaging, phoning and calling round while on duty in full uniform and a sexual relationship developed. She said Hoyle, who was still living with his wife, told her he felt “really close” and “had feelings” for her.

Asked how it ended she explained that things were “horrendous” in her life at the time with a ongoing divorce. “I probably wasn’t in a good head space.”

She said she was not ready for a sexual relationship but he was “quite persistent.” He came round a few times upset, “he didn’t want it to end. That was in uniform. Didn’t want me not to see him, wanted me to stay in touch and see how I’d be in a few weeks.”

Mr Swift said that investigations revealed that Hoyle’s radio showed him being in the vicinity of her home on 16 dates between February and June 2016. When interviewed Hoyle, 39, of Yelverton Close, Halewood, admitted they were friends but denied a sexual relationship with her or staying over at her home.

Guilty pleas: The court heard that during investigations two other women had come forward describing sexual activity with the defendant, involving kissing and oral sex and he has pleaded guilty to those misconduct offences.

Mr Swift said the Crown say they “mirror” those he is on trial for involving contact with vulnerable women while on duty and sexual activity.

Computer allegations: Hoyle also denies three offences of unauthorised access to a police computer, which involve three dates in November 2019 relating to the first complainant when he had no legitimate purpose for accessing the computer system.

He had met her in December 2018 after she reported incidents of domestic abuse and then continued calling around on about 15 occasions and each time she believed she was making further reports.

Mr Swift said she stated she had “latched on” to him as protection from her ex-partner and “the Crown say he deliberately exploited this vulnerability.”

While at her home he would “kiss her, touch her bottom, breasts and on one occasion attempted to put his hand down the front of her trousers and she knocked his hand away.”

In her statement she told how he began kissing her on leaving quite soon after they met and he would grope “me bum or grope me boobs on top of me clothes.” She said “I think the only reason I let him kiss me was because I felt comfortable because he was a police officer.”

He sometimes arranged for them to meet at Formby police station, which was not fully operational at the time, and while there would again kiss and grope her. “He never writ anything down. He never done anything. He would just like kiss and grope me and then take me back home,” she stated.

The trial continues.