Serving police constable 'asked woman to have sex in back of police van before sexually assaulting her'

A serving police constable asked a woman for sex in the back of a police van by telling her it was a 'once in a lifetime opportunity', a court heard.

North Yorkshire Police officer Christopher Hudson, 32, allegedly propositioned the woman in the back of the vehicle on 8 February last year while it was parked in a cemetery.

A court heard Hudson - who was on duty at the time - kissed the woman, put her hand on his groin and his hand on her upper thigh, during a sexual assault which he denies.

The woman, whose identity has not been revealed, repeatedly told Hudson that she did not want to have sex with him in the police van, that was parked at Stonefall Cemetery in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, Leeds Crown Court was told.

At the start of Hudson’s trial for sexual assault, prosecutor Gerald Henderson told jurors: "[Hudson] turned off the engine and the lights then put on slow RnB music on his phone. He suggested they get into the back of the van and have sex. She said there were houses nearby that would be able to see what was happening.

"The defendant said this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.“

During her video interview with police, the woman said that Hudson had “caressed” and “stroked” her thigh and neck and moved his hand to her groin, before he drove to two more locations, including The Travellers Rest pub.

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The woman said she told Hudson she was “not comfortable” with the sexual contact in the van, telling him: “There's nothing you can do that will persuade me this is a good idea.”

She added that when he began to play the music she felt "weird" and thought he's "trying to set the mood."

Jurors watched the interview, where the woman said Hudson “snapped out of it” after driving to the two other remote locations.

The woman described Hudson as "sex mad" and "absolutely crazy" before that point.

In her interview, she told police: "I don't think it dawned on me how much the level of vulnerability I was in. It scared me a lot."

She added she "didn't know" how many times she had told Hudson she did not want to have sex.

In a pre-prepared statement, Hudson said the woman told him she had "never kissed a Black man before” and that “he said she could do and she moved over and kissed him”.

Hudson, of Hollin Terrace, previously denied any non-consensual contact and has denied the charge of sexual assault.

The trial continues.