Cop who bound housemate with duct tape was turned on when he arrested women

A police officer who tied up his housemate with duct tape for a sexual thrill was obsessed with bondage and became turned on when he arrested women and handcuffed them, a court heard.

PC Sam Grigg, 36, then in the Met, held Natasha Rabinowitz hostage for ‘ten minutes of terror’ after approaching her in the kitchen of their shared house, Kingston crown court heard.

Ms Rabinowitz had been living at the address in Twickenham for six months but was not in a relationship with Grigg.

Prosecutor Alexander Agbamu told the court: ‘The incident took place at a house which the defendant shared with a number of other people one of those other people being the victim in this case, Ms Rabinowitz.

‘She was 23 years old at the time.

‘At the time this incident occurred the only people in the house at that time were the defendants and Ms Rabinowitz.’

Ms Rabinowitz went to the kitchen at 2pm to make herself some food and Grigg appeared at the door holding a roll of duct tape.

Mr Agabu told the court: ‘Without warning or expectation, he began to tape Ms Rabinowitz’s wrists together.

‘She grabbed the tape to try and stop him but the defendant, in response to Ms Rabinowitz’s resistance pulled her towards a table.

‘Ms Rabinowitz was still unclear as to the defendants’ intentions. She pulled back, telling the defendant she was ‘stronger than she looked’ and when she said this the defendant began to apply more force.

‘He grabbed her by the wrists, put them behind her back and bound them tightly together with the defendant’s tape.

Ms Rabinowitz asked Grigg ‘why are you doing this?’ and said ‘all she wanted to do was have some food and return to her room.’

The police officer told her it was because he ‘thought it was funny.’

‘He lifted Ms Rabinowitz onto the couch, placed her over its side where she lay face forward with the defendant’s body against hers and using more of the duct tape the defendant bound her ankles together, despite Ms Rabinowitz’s efforts to keep her legs free.

‘Ms Rabinowitz’s ankles were now bound, and the defendant pulled her away from the couch and she fell to the floor.

‘He then sat over her and applied duct tape to her mouth

‘It took the defendant some time to achieve this and Ms Rabinowitz continued to resist.’

Grigg was momentarily interrupted when the doorbell rang and Ms Rabinowitz took this opportunity to try and work away the duct tape from her mouth.

‘She was now sweating and breathing heavily, she began crawling to a ground level of kitchen draws her intention to find a knife to cut herself free,’ the prosecutor said.

‘By now the defendant had returned to kitchen and he guessed her intentions telling her she would ‘never be able to do it’ – to set herself free.

‘He spent the next few minutes watching he do her best…he seemed to enjoy what he was seeing.

‘After a while the defendant told Ms Rabinowitz he would take her binding off if she asked nicely.

‘She pleaded with him to set her free the defendant walked to a draw took out a knife and placed it on a counter.

‘He then lifted her and dropped her on the couch. He leaned against the sofa and stood watching as she continued to struggle. He then got up took hold of the knife and began to cut away at the duct tape.

‘In the process he cut one of her ankles as he did, so he said ‘ooops’ and she told him not to cut her again.

‘He asked her what would she do if she did?

Ms Rabinowitz said she would tell someone and the defendant said: ‘Who are you going to tell? I’m the police.’

‘And although the defendant did cut duct tape Ms Rabinowitz was still unable to tear the wrists away from her wrist and ankles,’ the prosecutor said.

‘On seeing her struggle the defendant approached her again, the knife still in his hand, and he cut her way freely now seeming to take more care.

The court heard how Grigg was ‘surprised at the amount of duct tape’ he had used and how he asked Ms Rabinowitz, in a jokey tone, if she ‘forgave him.’

Once free, Ms Rabinowitz went to her room and sent a message to her friend where she said what had happened, the court heard.

She said in her message: ‘I genuinely like 100 per cent thought he was going to rape me and my mind was so torn because he’s always been such a nice guy, like he’s a bit weird but very sweet so when it was happening I was like surely not.’

The next day Ms Rabinowitz ‘neither ate’ nor ‘left her room’ and would burst into tears whenever she heard Grigg’s door open or close.

She told her housemates what had happened and said she needed to ‘think things through’ making it clear she wished first to report the incident to the police before they would confront him.

‘And it was on 6 December that Ms Rabinowitz reported the matter to the police in detail the report being submitted in writing online and the next day.’

In Grigg’s room police found a bag of cable ties, three pair of handcuffs, two of which were police issued.

There were two further rolls of duct tape, a gimp mask, four silk cloths and a bondage DVD called ‘Better Watch Out’.

The cover of the DVD showed a young woman bound with rope and duct tape over mouth.

Underneath Grigg’s bed was found a Tesco bag containing two Met batons.

‘Those weapons need to be returned to an armoury or other secure lock at the end of each shift unless an officer is attending a weapon training course and with prior authority,’ Ms Agabu said.

‘Those circumstances did not apply in the defendant’s case and any officer of the defendant’s designation could not possess through an authorised means more than one such weapons at any time for any reason.’

Grigg has now been sacked by the Met.

In a victim impact statement Ms Rabinowitz said she is ‘uncomfortable now in environments where there are lots of people and lots of men in particular.’

‘She’s also uncomfortable when unfamiliar people enter the house, she feels anxious when she sees a police vehicle or walks past a police station or when a police officer’s passes close by,’ Ms Agabu said.

‘It’s caused her to mistrust the police and has made her conscious about the recruitment processes of the police.’

Listening to the facts of the case Judge Peter Lodder described the incident as ‘ten minutes of terror.’

John Howey, defending, said: ‘Your Lordship will have seen in the pre-sentence report and when he was spoken to by probation he descried the events as a terrible mistake.’

Judge Lodder replied: ‘How can this be a terrible mistake? He approached this woman, who was effectively defenceless, tried to tape her up, she resisted, and he continued to tape her wrist, he persisted in taping up her ankles, she continued to resist, and then he put tape over her mouth. How is this a mistake?’

The court heard how Grigg had an ‘obsession’ with, and was ‘keen to purse bondage’ or BDSM in previous relationships.

He told a former girlfriend ‘his work’ handcuffs had come in useful ‘because he would use them in these acts.’

Ms Agbamu said: ‘A previous girlfriend of Grigg was aware that the defendant had an obsession with the type of conduct that might be categorised as BDSM or bondage. It was certainly something he was keen to pursue.

‘She at the time was much less enthusiastic about this predilection than the defendant.’

Judge Ladder told the court: ‘He has clearly got a sexual interest in tying up women. What was his purpose on this occasion?’

‘And he accepts that,’ replied Mr Howey.

‘It’s clear form what was found in his bedroom and what a previous girlfriend has said, and what he told probation, he has a close interest in tying up, including gagging, women for his sexual pleasure,’ the judge added.

‘Mr Grigg says his sexual interest lies in tying up and restraining,’ said Mr Howey.

Judge Lodder replied: ‘His former girlfriend says was particularly aroused by her mouth being covered.’

The judge added Grigg had told his former partner ‘work’ handcuffs had come in useful because he would use them in these acts.’

‘He also stated to her he goes to ‘domestics.’ She was upset to his references of ”just another domestic” and in her opinion he got a kick in arresting women as it was a form of restraint… that seems potentially rather relevant’ the judge said.

Grigg, then attached to the South West Basic Command Unit, was off-duty at the time.

He admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and false imprisonment on 2 December 2022.

Appearing in court this afternoon (Fri) wearing a blue suit, blue shirt and blue tie Grigg remained emotionless whilst his sentence was passed.

His mother, father, and sister all attended court today and looked on from the public gallery.

The judge said: ‘In December 2022 you had been a police officer in the Metropolitan Police force for some 6 years.

‘Then aged 36 you lived in Twickenham in a large town house with four housemate one of which was Ms Rabinowitz.

‘Then 23 she was the newest resident of that house and described you as ‘practically a stranger to.

‘On 6 December 2022 you knew that you and Natasha were alone in the house. At about 2pm and when at that time she was in the kitchen making something to eat you, approached her with a roll of duct tape.

‘You began an attempt tape her wrists together and she resisted.’

The judge added: ‘‘It was very clear that she did not agree but you persisted, and you dragged her to the couch then lifted he over and onto the side of the couch with the weight of your body on her back.

‘You pulled her up and let her fall to the floor, you over-came her continued resistance by siting over the top of he when you then put duct tape over her mouth.

‘She was terrified you rendered her almost completely helpless.

‘You were interrupted by the doorbell which you went to answer, leaving her struggling on the floor.

‘She managed to crawl towards the kitchen drawers in an unsuccessful bid to get a knife to secure her freedom. When you returned you said she would never be able to do so, and you appeared to enjoy watching her futile efforts for more than five minutes.

‘You said: ‘If you ask nicely I’ll take them off.’

‘You lifted her from the floor and dropped her on couch, as she continued to struggle you stood over her and watched.

‘Eventually you took a knife, in process of releasing the tape cut her ankle, when she asked you not to cut her again you replied ‘what will you do if I do?’ In response to her reply that she will tell someone, you said ‘Who are you going to tell, I am the police.’

‘You knew the likely effect of this observation; this was over a year after the publicity surrounding the death of Sarah Everard and some months after the arrest of David Carrick.

‘It is clear you have an obsession with BDSM conduct.

‘The statement from your former girlfriend speaks of your enjoyment of the power you gained by restraining her, and that you were particularly turned on by restraining her mouth.

‘She questioned whether your interests were appropriate given your job, you answered that work handcuffs had come in useful as you would use them during these acts. In her opinion you get a kick out of arresting women as it is a form of restraint.

‘These interests are clearly set out in the pre-sentence report.

‘That report finds you are a high risk of serious harm to a known adult, and a medium risk to the public specifically any female with whom you are in a romantic relationship, is a friend or a housemate.

‘False imprisonment is a specified offence. It is agreed by all parties that this material may justify a finding of dangerousness.

‘In addition, I take account of the pleasure that you appeared to derive. And your professional role as police officer, which you utilised in an attempt to prevent her from reporting what happened.

‘Importantly, I take the view that this was for your own sexual gratification. It is correct that you did not rape or sexually assault Natasha, but as I have already said this attack was on a woman who was almost a stranger to you.

‘I share the probation officer’s view, that it was the knock on the door you that caused you to stop.

‘The incident has had a profound and damaging effect on Natasha.

‘I find you to be dangerous.’

Grigg, of Twickenham, admitted one count of actual bodily harm and one count of false imprisonment.

He was sentenced to four years in prison with an extended licence period of two years once he is released for the false imprisonment charge.

Grigg was also sentenced to a 12-month prison sentence for the one count of actual bodily harm to run concurrently.