EX-GLOUCESTERSHIRE POLICE OFFICER CONVICTED OF MULTIPLE SEXUAL OFFENCES
A former police officer described as controlling and manipulative is accused of raping one woman and sexually assaulting another while they were asleep, a court has been told.Craig Winston, who was a student officer serving in the Forest of Dean for Gloucestershire Police before resigning in February 2023, faces trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court on nine charges involving two different complainants.
The alleged incidents are said to have taken place during periods when he was off duty.
During proceedings on Thursday, it was revealed that Winston, 36, targeted the women when they were either sleeping or heavily intoxicated.
Prosecutor Ahmed Hossein KC stated that searches for explicit content, including “sex with sleeping women,” were found on the defendant’s phone.
Addressing the jury, which consists of eight women and four men, he characterized Winston as “manipulative,” alleging he raped one woman and sexually assaulted another to satisfy a personal obsession.
It was also testified that one woman awoke to find Winston engaged in sexual touching.
Further police investigation in 2022 uncovered allegations by a second woman, who reported having been attacked by Winston as well.
This second woman recounted that she had fallen asleep after drinking alcohol and later woke up with a sense that sexual activity had occurred.
She described Winston calling her derogatory names, referring to her as a “sex slave” to settle “debts,” and forcing her to perform sex acts she did not consent to.
Prosecutor Hossein added, “She remembers him saying ‘well you’re asleep, you don’t know it’s going on, we’re both winning’.” The second complainant also testified that she would wake and ask Winston to stop; he ignored her protests, and she experienced pain or was expected to tolerate the acts until he finished.
The court was told that Winston attempted to dissuade her from speaking to police or giving a statement, which constitutes a charge of perverting the course of justice.
Currently on bail and dressed in a grey suit in the dock, Winston is also accused of stalking the first woman.
The prosecution revealed that he admitted “off the record” to a police officer post-arrest that he was “obsessed” with her.
It was explained that Winston engaged in actions intended to harm her mental health and violate his bail conditions related to stalking.
These included following her on social media, liking her posts, contacting her friends, and creating a social media account to post messages and songs, all seemingly aimed at eliciting a reaction.
Winston denies all nine charges against him, which include two counts of rape, causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, controlling or coercive behavior, perverting the course of justice, two counts of assault by penetration, and stalking causing serious alarm or distress.
———————————————————— Update 19/12/2025: On Wednesday (17 December) a jury found him guilty of four offences against one woman – two counts of rape, one count of causing a female to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity and one count of engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour – and one count of sexual assault by penetration relating to another woman.
The offences were committed off duty.
He was found not guilty of four other counts.
Winston was bailed by the court and he is due to be sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on 6 February 2026.
