Ex-police officer pleads guilty to harassing woman

Kevin Davis pleaded guilty to the charges during a hearing at Exeter Magistrates' Court

A former police officer made a woman feel vulnerable and unsafe by repeatedly approaching and asking her out, a court has heard.

During a hearing at Exeter Magistrates' Court, ex-Devon and Cornwall Police Constable Kevin Davis, 41, of Seaton, pleaded guilty to charges of harassment without violence and misusing a police computer to gain unauthorised access to information.

The court was told David repeatedly messaged the woman, approached her at the gym and searched for her 24 times on systems at work over a three-month period, including while on annual leave.

Davis is due to be sentenced on 17 September. Devon and Cornwall Police said the force was not making any comments at this time.

Prosecuting, Warjinder Bains said Davis made "repeated unwanted comments" on social media posts to the victim and asked her out several times in January.

She added Davis then turned up at the woman's gym to try and speak to her.

"The defendant used his position as a police officer to look her up on the police system to, in effect, spy on her, accessing the system also on his off-duty periods, including when he was on annual leave," she said.

District Judge Stuart Smith said the offences were "very serious" and ordered a pre-sentence report to be written ahead of sentencing.

Davis was granted bail with a condition not to contact the complainant.