Jail for cop after sex at Notting Hill nick

A detective who had sex with a suspect in Notting Hill police station during an eight month affair has been jailed for four months.

Det Con Grant McPherson, 37, romped with 20 year-old Albanian student Jessica Lorenzin at hotels and at a spa when he was on duty, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.

McPherson gave her his number after interviewing for causing criminal damage at Charing Cross police station in October 2015.

The case was dropped and McPherson began chatting to her on WhatsApp a week later, unbeknown to his wife.

They arranged to meet shortly afterwards and their conversations quickly turned to sex.

The pair embarked on a series of secret trysts fuelled by legal highs and herbal viagra, all during McPherson’s working hours.

Over the eight months he met her for sex in three hotels on five occasions, once at Notting Hill Police station, and they had a threesome in a spa.

The Scottish officer kept the fling secret from everybody including his wife until his increasingly erratic behaviour gave him away.

He was caught by colleagues after he being reported as missing by his partner in the early hours of 8 August 2016.

According to his partner, McPherson said he was popping out to take the work car back to the police station, but had not returned.

He eventually returned drunk and gave the interviewing officer at his home an inconsistent account of where he had been.

An internal investigation was launched in August 2016 into another matter in which his phone was seized.

On his phone they found the incriminating messages on his WhatsApp with Lorenzin.

When they interviewed him about the messages McPherson admitted he had driven her home that morning, but that she was no longer a suspect at the time.

He pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public officer in March, and was nearly denied bail after turning up drunk at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Madeleine Wolfe, prosecuting, said McPherson engaged in a sexual relationship with the student after she was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage in October 2015.

‘He took Jessica from her cell at 1:30am to interview her. At that interview there was no second officer or solicitor.

‘She was then returned to the cell by McPherson and the CPS advised no further action, and she was released.

‘Jessica Lorenzin said DC McPherson had in fact driven her home that night, and on that occasion, gave her his personal phone number, inviting her to discuss any problems with her mother.

‘She sent him a WhatsApp message on November 4, saying “Hi, sorry for disturbing, I’m Jessica, I want to ask if it’s possible to drink something and talk about an important topic, thanks”.

‘He got back to her and they arranged to meet on WhatsApp. They got involved talking about sex reasonably quickly.

‘He told her that he had been in a seven year relationship which finished a year ago, and was only interested in a casual relationship.

‘But he actually had a partner and a small child.

‘She described having sex with him at her home, in a spa with another man, and three hotels and once at a Notting Hill police station, all while he was on duty.

‘She described him providing her and encouraging her to take a white powder she said was cocaine.

‘She had not taken drugs before and in her statement she described it as making her feel like a zombie.

‘The defendant maintained he hadn’t given her illegal drugs, but herbal viagra and legal highs.

‘During a conversation having take these substances in February 2016 she said “I’m sorry I thought we were in a dating process, not a drug and f*ck, everything I don’t want to do”.

‘The relationship continued until July 2016.’

David Hughes, defending, said: ‘This is about the fact that he continued a sexual relationship while he was working.

‘He has had 16 years of police service, 13 years with the Metropolitan Police.

‘This defendant was under considerable pressure at work due to cuts to the police force.

‘In typical male reaction and perhaps in the atmosphere of the Met Police he didn’t do anything about it, because he didn’t wish to be seen as weak by his colleagues in seeking help.

‘So instead it gets worse manifesting itself in alcohol problems.’

Judge Martyn Zeidman QC told McPherson: ‘You counsel rightly described your conduct as utterly deplorable behaviour.

‘It really is a breach of public trust and confidence in a public office.

‘It’s right that there has been a consensus that this offence is so serious that it manifestly warrants a prison sentence.

‘This is a court of law, not a court of morals, the fact that you have behaved so badly to your wife is not my business.

‘You drove her home and gave her your number.

‘The first suggestion of sex came from her and thereafter during work while you were on duty, paid by the public, you engaged in consensual sexual activity with her.

‘On five occasions you went to three different hotels and on each occasion when you should have been doing your job you were with her.

‘I don’t accept that the sentence should be suspended, this was not a one off act of misconduct, you did it more than once.

‘This conduct needs to be marked by a prison sentence, and I give you one of four months in jail.’

Mcpherson, of Glasgow, was given four months in jail for one count of misconduct while in a public office.

ends