A police officer has been jailed for 18 months for sexual assaults on two female colleagues.
Detective Sergeant Richard Mills, 42, was found guilty of assaulting the women while working at Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on two separate occasions over the past 10 years. He had worked at the force since 2006.
Judge David Swinnerton said during sentencing that the officer was “enabled” and “emboldened” by a culture in the lower ranks of the force where “you don’t report bobbies”.
He added on Friday the women had their “mental health, careers and their lives blighted” by Mills’s actions.
The judge then said: “When police officers commit offences like this, or any other sort of offence, you undermine every other officer because it does damage public trust in police.”
Liverpool Crown Court heard Mills, a father-of-two whose wife was in the public gallery during sentencing, describe the office environment within the GMP as one where a number of people joked with “sexualised banter”.
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Judge Swinnerton also noted that witnesses during the trial said Mills had conversations with “sexual overtones” with his colleagues.
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One victim told the court Mills put her hand on his crotch after talking to her about what kind of sex he liked and saying he was not “getting it” from his wife.
The victim had told others about the incident but did not support an investigation into Mills at the time.
He was then given a verbal warning and no misconduct hearing took place.
On a separate occasion, a second victim said she “froze” when Mills put her hand on his crotch while in a room with other people.
“That added to her sense of shame and embarrassment that you felt enabled to do that in that room believing she would not say anything,” the judge said.
In a statement, read by prosecutor Robert Dudley, one of the victims told the court: “How do you call the police about the police?
“I used to be such a happy, smiley and bubbly character and I feel the complete opposite. I just feel sad all the time.”
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Mills, of Wardle, Rochdale denies the charges. He was cleared of three other counts of sexual assault after his trial in December.
Hunter Gray, defending, said in court Mills had shown insight into his previous conduct and was no longer “the tactile person he was”.
He added: “He would say that what he saw as acceptable banter at the time he now appreciates was unacceptable, particularly in the modern environment, and he will change his approach.”
Speaking after the sentencing, GMP Detective Superintendent David Jones said that Mills “gravely abused his position of trust and authority within the force”.
He then praised the victims, adding: “Their tenacity and strength shown throughout our investigation and legal proceedings is commendable and should be recognised as the driving force behind reaching today’s outcome, whereby Mills is starting a jail term as a convicted sex offender.”
