Female police officer 'sexually assaulted junior colleague at Christmas party'

10 October 2023 , 14:04

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Bright is charged with sexual assault (Image: Facebook)

A female police officer put her hand up a junior colleague's skirt after drinking Prosecco at a Christmas party, a court heard.

Met Sgt Rachel Bright, 45, is charged with sexually assaulting a younger woman at a work party in Wandsworth, southwest London last December. She was off-duty at the event where she had been drinking Prosecco all evening and became 'overly-affectionate' with her alleged victim, the court was told.

Bright, who works in the Met's South West Command Unit but is currently suspended from duty, appeared in court wearing a black jacket, blue trousers and a blue shirt. She spoke at the start of the hearing to confirm her name, date of birth and address, and later in the hearing to confirm her not guilty plea and her preference for her trial to be held in a Crown Court.

Bright has pleaded not guilty (Facebook)

A plea and trial preparation hearing for Sgt Bright's case will be heard at Kingston Crown Court at the beginning of next month. The court heard Bright, of Sutton, south London, began complimenting the alleged victim on her body after drinking Prosecco at the work party.

Melanie Hardwick, prosecuting, told the court: "The defendant is a senior police officer. On December 5, 2022, in the Borough of Wandsworth, she intentionally touched a woman and that touching was sexual. She attended a team outing. The defendant is a junior colleague.

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"Throughout the evening, [Bright] had been drinking Prosecco, acting in an overly-affectionate manner... Complimenting the complainant on her body. At the end of the night, the defendant put her hand up the complainant's skirt."

Ms Hardwick added that the touching had been over the woman's clothing, and that it amounted to an 'abuse of trust'. District Judge Devinder Sandhu sent the case to Kingston Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on November 6. She told Bright: "Between now and that date, I am going to grant you bail."

Tim Hanlon