EX-POLICE OFFICER CLEARED OF RAPE BUT FOUND GUILTY OF MISCONDUCT
A former police officer who was previously cleared of raping a woman he met on a dating app has been found to have committed misconduct by a disciplinary panel.David Longden-Thurgood, formerly of Hampshire Constabulary, faced two criminal trials at Winchester Crown Court, accused of raping a woman in her 30s in October 2020.
The criminal cases did not result in a conviction; he was declared not guilty after the Crown Prosecution Service chose not to pursue further proceedings because the complainant preferred not to testify again.
However, a recent internal police hearing determined that Longden-Thurgood's behavior amounted to gross misconduct.
The disciplinary panel concluded he would have been dismissed if he had not already resigned.
He resigned from the police force in February 2024 and has been placed on the College of Policing's barred list.
Deputy Chief Constable Sam de Reya praised the bravery of the victim, referred to as Ms.
A, for coming forward and helping ensure Longden-Thurgood could no longer abuse his authority to target women.
The criminal cases against Longden-Thurgood collapsed first in June 2022 after four jurors tested positive for COVID-19, and subsequently, the jury in the retrial failed to reach a verdict in January 2023.
During the trial, Longden-Thurgood claimed he believed the woman, whom he met on Bumble, consented to sex, despite her stating she did not want to proceed.
The official misconduct hearing found his behavior to be at a level of gross misconduct, and he resigned before any dismissal could happen.
The police have acknowledged the victim's courage and emphasized their commitment to thorough and sensitive investigations.
