PC Daniel Julian, who has been serving with Sussex Police for 16 years, was the subject of a criminal trial in 2024 regarding an alleged sex attack against a colleague in a hotel room in Kent in the early hours of August 17, 2021, which he denied.
He now faces misconduct proceedings at Sussex Police Headquarters in Lewes.
The panel heard today, March 18, that Julian had known PC Y, whose anonymity is protected by law, since at least May 2017, which is when they swapped phone numbers.
The pair did not work together directly, with Julian working in Chichester and PC Y elsewhere in Sussex.
Julian said “there would be long periods where [they] did not speak” and they “never met outside of work”, but would occasionally message if they were on the same shift pattern.
On the evening of August 16, 2021, Julian said he and PC Y had been talking “for hours” during and after dinner at the hotel they were staying at for training.
He said they left the restaurant at around midnight and went to look at each other’s rooms, due to discussions about what beds they had, during which “nothing happened”.
It was heard that Julian texted PC Y when they were both in their respective rooms asking if he should shower. He then claimed he had forgotten his toothpaste, which he has since admitted was not true.
When PC Y brought toothpaste to his room, Julian said there was an “intimate moment” between them, with Julian “stroking her arm” and believing they “were going to kiss”.
Julian said he invited her into his room, which she declined, but PC Y told him he had “an amazing body” and was “muscley”, he added.
After the interaction, he continued to text PC Y, asking if he could come to her room. PC Y responded “haha no but you’re testing my willpower to the max”, the panel heard.
Julian said he believed she wanted him to come and so he went to her room in a towel, where she “let him in”.
Mark Aldred, representing Julian, said: “What were you hoping would happen?”
Julian said: “That we would continue where we left off.”
The officer said he leaned in to kiss PC Y inside her room, but she turned her head. He then proceeded to kiss her neck, which he alleges she was enjoying.
During a 16-minute period, which was recorded, of the 40-minute incident, PC Y told Julian “no” 62 times.
Julian denied that he “attacked” or hurt PC Y.
Mr Aldred said: “Had you attacked her in any way?”
Julian responded: “No.”
Mr Aldred said: “Had you straddled her naked and forced yourself against you?”
“No,” Julian said.
The officer stated that “reflecting back, [he] should have gone before [he] did go”.
“I wish I did go sooner,” he said.
It was heard that PC Y sent a message to Julian on the evening of August 17, writing she felt “uncomfortable” and “a bit scared at points during the incident”.
She said: “I know I was laughing at points but I do that when I am nervous.
“I was constantly asking you to leave and saying stop but you were not listening to me at all.
“I do not really know why you were putting so much pressure on.
“You put me in a situation I did not really want to be in.
“It can’t happen again. I have been feeling upset about it since.
“I said you were good looking but that’s it.
“I actually cried because of what happened.”
In response, Julian said he was “so so so sorry” and had “made a massive fool of [himself]”.
“I am shocked that’s how you felt,” he said.
“I have always had a thing for you.
“I have massively let you down and I am so sorry.”
Julian said there was “barely any communication” in the months that followed as PC Y “wanted space”.
However, the pair were due to be deployed to Scotland for a policing operation together. PC Y messaged Julian prior to this, stating she did not want him to go.
Julian said she asked him to “swap with someone” or “get [himself] removed” or she would “get herself removed and tell people why”.
“I told her it was not that simple,” he said.
“I can’t swap with someone and I didn’t want to swap with someone.”
After a discussion with a colleague, Julian self-reported the incident to a sergeant in October 2021, however he was then told a report had been made. An investigation into the incident was subsequently started.
Robert Talalay, representative for the appropriate authority, cross examined Julian.
Mr Talalay asked the officer: “Are you familiar with the phrase ‘no means no’?
“Do you understand a person can refuse consent to sexual activity from the beginning of an interaction with another person?
“Do you understand even if consent is given it can be withdrawn?
“Did you understand all of that back in August 2021?”
Julian said “yes”.
Mr Talalay said: “When a woman says no to you do you consider that a challenge to be overcome?”
“No,” Julian said.
“She was saying no but we’re still touching one another.
“It was like no but it could be persuaded, it could be yes.
“It was like she was not meaning no. Almost like ‘no, you need to persuade me a bit more’.”
Mr Talalay put to Julian that PC Y said no 62 times during the 16-minute recording played to the panel and asked him to leave on 54 occasions.
Mr Talalay said: “What more do you need to convince you that you do not need to be in that woman’s room anymore?”
Julian said: “We’re still touching one another. We’re laughing and giggling and whispering.
“It’s the way it was all done in the room that painted a completely different story.”
Mr Talalay said: “Everything you did was with the aim of having sex or engaging in sexual activity with PC Y.”
Julian said: “We were being intimate towards each other and I was trying to move it onto the next level.”
Julian denied “holding her wrists at any point”, causing bruises to PC Y’s wrists, pinning her to the floor with his knee and laying on top of her and pressing himself onto her.
The misconduct proceedings continue.
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