Police sergeant 'panicked' when woman demanded sex

The former sergeant had been overseeing policing in Weston-super-Mare at the time

A former police officer has described his "complete panic" after saying he was forced into sex.

Former Avon and Somerset Sgt Lee Cocking is accused of having sex with an intoxicated woman while on duty in Weston-super-Mare.

Mr Cocking said he felt "numb" and unable to call for help when the woman straddled him in his parked police car.

A police misconduct panel is considering the case after he was acquitted of criminal charges in 2021.

The incident took place in the early hours of Christmas Eve 2017 after the woman had been ejected from Skinny Dippers nightspot for rowdy behaviour.

Mr Cocking, 41, told the panel he had offered to take her home in an attempt to prevent further trouble.

'I have a family'

Giving evidence on day seven of the hearing at force headquarters in Portishead on Tuesday, Mr Cocking said he rejected several attempts by the woman to seduce him during the journey before she "flung" herself on him in the driver's seat after he stopped the unmarked constabulary car.

Mr Cocking said the woman took her trousers partway down while sat in the front passenger seat and asked for sex, but that he asked her to stop.

He said: "I just had complete panic. I had never been in that position before, ever. I just wanted her to go away.

"I kept repeating the same things to her - 'I have a family, I'm not interested, I can't do this, I will lose my job, I could lose everything'.

"I felt really awkward. I'm not a touchy-feely person, I don't like being cuddled, I just wanted to drop her off and go home."

'My word against hers'

He said he did not consider radioing colleagues for help because he was focused solely on getting her home and out of the car.

"If she was going to make a complaint, it was my word against hers," the former officer told the panel.

Mr Cocking, who retired on medical grounds in July, is accused of breaching standards of professional behaviour for police officers in relation to honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct, which could amount to gross misconduct if proven.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has declined to take part in the hearing, which continues on Wednesday.