Former West Yorkshire Police officer sentenced over sexual assaults

Parker was a constable based at the West Yorkshire force's Operational Support

A former police officer has been handed a suspended jail sentence after he admitted slapping a woman's bottom and exposing himself during a night out.

Lee Parker, who also admitted grabbing and kissing a woman, committed the offences while off duty in a Leeds bar on 14 December 2021.

The 40-year-old, who resigned from West Yorkshire Police, was jailed for 32 weeks, suspended for two years.

He was also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Parker was ordered to pay a £250 fine for each of the victims when he appeared at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

The sexual assaults "relate to him grabbing and kissing a female member of the public and slapping the bottom of another" and "he also exposed himself to members of the public", a force spokesperson said.

A misconduct hearing is due to be held to determine whether Parker would have been dismissed had he still been employed as an officer.

That could result in him being added to the Barred List, the force said.

Det Ch Supt Nicola Bryar, head of West Yorkshire Police's Professional Standards Directorate, said: "This officer's actions fell well below what we expect of our employees on and off duty.

"No-one should expect or accept being violated in this way on a night out."