'Sex on duty' police trial in balance
Jury members have retired to consider their verdicts in the case of a married police community support officer accused of using the criminal intelligence system "as a dating agency" to strike up affairs while on duty.
Peter Bunyan, an officer with Devon and Cornwall Police, is alleged to have accessed highly sensitive police data to perform background checks on women and their former partners after so-called "welfare" visits to victims of crime.
-
Peter Bunyan
The 40-year-old is accused of neglecting his duties by turning his police radio down during shifts before having sex with women, including at a police neighbourhood office, as well as encouraging one mentally ill woman to send pictures of herself on email to the police station.
Bunyan, a father-of-two, denies 12 counts of misconduct in a public office, taking place over a five-year period in the Camborne and Redruth areas of west Cornwall.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Wednesday, May 22 2013
The case is being heard at Taunton Crown Court, Somerset, outside the Devon and Cornwall Police force area.
Bunyan admits having sex with four women but said it was off-duty. He denies sex with a fifth woman. He admits having sex with one of of the women while on duty but that this was not misconduct; he said he was merely being negligent.
His counsel, Michael Melville-Shreeve has argued that although his client might be "a rat" and "a disgrace", he is not a serious criminal.
"If's not serious crime (for an on-duty police officer) to have tea with someone for half an hour, it is not a crime to have sex consensually with them," he said.
Mr Melville-Shreeve also drew comparisons with senior politicians, including former Conservative prime minister John Major, in saying their affairs did not make them serious criminals.
Earlier, prosecutor Simon Burns said Bunyan, of Carharrack near Camborne, "was not there when the public needed him".
He told the court: "He abused his position as a police officer. This case is all about PCSO Bunyan misconducting himself while on duty."
Sending the jury out to consider verdicts on the 12 charges on Friday afternoon, judge Graham Hume Jones told them: "You must not allow your emotions to take over."
Bunyan is alleged to have accessed highly sensitive police data to perform background checks on women and their former partners after so-called ``welfare'' visits to victims of crime.
He is accused of neglecting his duties by turning his police radio down on shifts before having sex with women, including at a police neighbourhood office, as well as encouraging one mentally ill woman to send pictures of herself on email to the police station.
Bunyan denies all counts of misconduct in a public office, taking place over a five-year period in the Camborne and Redruth areas of west Cornwall.
Bunyan admits having sex with four women but said it was while he was off duty. He denies sex with a fifth woman.
He admits having sex with one of them while on duty, but that this was not misconduct, he said he was merely being negligent.
Mr Melville-Shreeve also drew comparisons with the senior politicians - including former Conservative prime minister John Major, in saying their affairs did not make them serious criminals.
Bunyan has been suspended from the force since his arrest in 2011.
He will return to court on Monday, when jury members consider the remaining counts.
Comments