Paul Hinchcliffe: South Yorkshire Police officer accused of pulling down woman's top and taking photo

PC Paul Hinchcliffe, aged 46, later took a photograph of the woman wearing her glasses and showed everyone else, saying: “I'm going to have a w*** to that tonight.”

Prosecutors said he'd earlier simulated “ejaculating into her breasts” by flicking beer foam down her chest and “grunting” after the woman said she wanted a “boob job”.

And Leeds Crown Court heard the South Yorkshire Police officer - who is 25 years older than his alleged victim - said she had a “bum like a 12-year-old”.

The alleged incident unfolded when the police training officer was drinking in a pub in Rotherham on October 3, 2020, with three other members of the force.

Jurors were told that when the stunned woman later returned home and “cried her eyes out”, Hinchliffe sent her a message saying: “God I'd do you, is that bad?”

The text was accompanied by a number of emojis that the woman took to represent masturbation, the court heard.

Hinchcliffe, who later told police the teenager had consented to the pictures, pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault on the first day of his trial.

Louise Reevell, prosecuting, said Hinchliffe's alleged victim was invited to the night out through a Whatsapp group that another woman, Jade Henry, had set up called “Sesh”.

She said the 18-year-old, who can't be named for legal reasons, met Hinchcliffe and three others at The Church House Wetherspoon pub in Rotherham for drinks.

But Ms Reevell said during the evening, Hinchcliffe began making inappropriate comments after the woman's proposed “boob job” came up in conversation.

She said: “The group were drinking alcohol throughout the afternoon and into the early part of the evening. The defendant began making inappropriate comments to [the alleged victim].

“This seemed to come about because Jade Henry mentioned that she [the alleged victim] was going to have a boob job. She told her that she didn't need to.

“But [the alleged victim] said that she did because she had the breasts of a 12-year-old. The defendant then commented that she had the bum of a 12-year-old.”

Ms Reevell said Hinchcliffe went onto tell the 18-year-old she had a “good bum” before making comments about masturbation.

She added: “He said she had a 'good bum' and also took a picture of her in her glasses and then said, 'I'm going to have a w*** to that tonight'. She tried not to acknowledge it and to move on, even though it was a bit weird.

“The defendant then flicked foam at [her]. Initially it hit her glasses. But the defendant then began flicking bits of foam into her chest and down into her breasts and made grunting noises.

“He then pulled out his phone and took a photo down her top, saying he was going to send it to a friend as he would regret not coming. It was that particular incident that initially constituted the offence.

“The prosecution say that it's clear that the defendant was trying to make it appear that he was ejaculating into her breasts.”

Ms Reevell said that the victim felt “uncomfortable” and had called a friend who then brought her home in a car.

And during her police interview on October 8, 2020, which was played in court, the 18-year-old said she “cried my eyes out” after arriving back at her parent's property.

The woman said: “I just sat on the settee and cried… It was all so weird and awful. I didn't want to be upset because I didn't want people thinking I couldn't take that banter. That just upset me.”

However, the court heard that Hinchcliffe continued making inappropriate comments towards the woman through Whatsapp messages.

She went on: “When I got home, he sent a picture of me that he took and put emojis, like w***ing emojis, and put ‘God I'd do you. Is that bad?’ I said ‘Yeah it is’.

“He said, ‘Sorry, sorry, I'm just drunk.’ I just stopped replying and put him on mute. He sent one, then another and another.”

Ms Reevell said the defendant was arrested and interviewed on October 9, 2020, on suspicion of sexual assault.

And when he was interviewed again in April last year, his solicitor made a prepared statement saying the alleged victim had consented to him taking the photo of her.

He has since been suspended from duties while an internal misconduct investigation is on hold pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings.

The trial continues.