Police trainee sacked for domestic abuse rape comment

Fellow officers reported the comments

A trainee police officer from Surrey who "joked" he would rape a domestic abuse victim has been sacked.

PC Samuel Wilton, a trainee officer since 2023, admitted gross misconduct at an accelerated hearing on Wednesday.

Fellow officers had reported the comments made by PC Wilton, which were said while on a night out in Guildford in January.

Comments made by the trainee officer included, “if there was a domestic violence (DV) victim who was fit, I would rape her”. Before adding, “if the DV victim was fit and dead, I would still rape her".

'Disgusted with myself'

PC Wilton, who was never on frontline duties, was part of a group that received training about the professional behaviour expected in the force on the same day the comments were made.

Allegations against PC Wilton were proven in the hearing, and he was found to have breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour amounting to gross misconduct, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

“I am absolutely disgusted with myself,” PC Wilton said during the hearing, as he told inspectors about his life-long ambition to be in the force.

PC Wilton, who asked for a second chance, assured the hearing he had “grown as a person” and reflected "daily" on his comments.

'No defence'

Numerous character references were also given to the hearing from PC Wilton’s former colleagues, who were mostly female, including those from his time in the RAF.

One female colleague said the comments were “completely out of character”.

Assistant Chief Constable for Surrey Peter Gardner said although the incident amounted to gross misconduct, PC Wilton was not a threat to the public.

The hearing heard that drunkenness was “no defence” for the behaviour, as agreed by both investigation officers and PC Wilton.

The misconduct hearing concluded that “anything less than a dismissal would not achieve the purpose of misconduct proceedings” and “fail to maintain public confidence and the police’s reputation”.

PC Wilton will have five working days to lodge an appeal against his dismissal.