Police inspector who assaulted female colleagues at party avoids jail

Police inspector who grabbed female colleagues’ buttocks while wearing Mickey Mouse Christmas jumper at boozy festive party avoids jail after having to resign from the force

• Lee Morgan, 46, groped two junior officers in front of other colleagues at a pub
• He was forced to quit from his role and has been banned from policing again
• He previously told a police hearing his punishment ‘far outweighs the crime’ 
• Morgan was today sentenced to a six-month jail term, suspended for two years 

A police inspector who sexually assaulted two female colleagues at a drunken Christmas party has avoided jail after being banned from working for the force again.

Lee Morgan, 46, was handed a suspended jail sentence in court today, having already been forced to resign over his behaviour from Cleveland Police.

CCTV showed Morgan was dressed in a red Mickey Mouse Christmas jumper when he squeezed the women’s buttocks multiple times while they were in a pub in Yarm, Teesside, in December 2021.

The ex-control room inspector admitted two counts of sexual assault and was handed a six-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, as well as having to do 100 hours of unpaid work.

It came after he previously claimed the punishment for his actions ‘far outweighs the crime’ and said the prosecution at a disciplinary hearing should have paid more attention to his mental health.

Lee Morgan, 46, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault during a night out with colleagues where he was the most senior officer present

Morgan is married and has three children. He would have been fired from his job had he not already resigned, and has been banned from working for the force again

Newcastle Crown Court was told the married father-of-three had to resign from Cleveland Police after 23 years as an officer, having previously been awarded with a number of commendations for his work.

Morgan, from Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, was the most senior officer present at the night out when he groped the two women, named only as witnesses A and B.

The two sexual assaults took place in front of other officers who were also at the pub. 

Witness A felt two or three taps on her buttocks but when she turned around she said no one was there.

John Harley, prosecuting, said: ‘She assumed the defendant had been responsible for the touching, he had been behaving in a loud and over-friendly manner.’

She felt annoyed, ‘like a line had been crossed’, the court was told.

She later saw the defendant with witness B and thought he was being over-familiar with her as well, Mr Harley said.

CCTV footage from the pub also caught Morgan squeezing witness B’s buttocks.

Neither of his victims were willing to give evidence in court, and neither said they had suffered psychological harm as a result of what he did, the court heard.

The events of the night out were passed on to police supervision and an investigation was launched, leading to him being charged.

Morgan offered guilty pleas on the basis that he had no recollection of committing the offences, having drunk a significant amount that night.

Jane Waugh, defending, read references which said Morgan’s behaviour that night was out of character and that he had lost his career in public service during which he had displayed ‘exemplary conduct’.

Miss Waugh said: ‘This is truly a fall from grace, this is a man who had an excellent career and was very well thought of.

‘He has now lost his good character.’

Morgan previously claimed his punishment ‘far, far outweighs the crime’ after being barred from policing

Morgan had taken measures to control his drinking, his barrister said.

He felt shame for what he did and he had a five-day stay in hospital after attempting suicide, Miss Waugh said.

Judge Sarah Mallett said: ‘I have read character references on your behalf and it is clear your behaviour on this evening was totally out of character.’

A police disciplinary hearing in November found Morgan was guilty of gross misconduct, and had he not already resigned he would have been dismissed.

It was said that Morgan had dented the reputation of policing at a time when there is already national concern over failures to protect women and young girls from harm.

DCI John Bonner, who led the investigation into Morgan, said: ‘Policing has come under national scrutiny through high profile cases in which there has been a failure to protect women and girls from abuse and violence.

‘What message does it send to women and girls who aspire to follow policing as a profession and would parents encourage their daughters to join the police?

‘It is imperative policing makes it clear that misconduct of this nature is wholly unacceptable.’

DCI Bonner claimed that he believed it was a ‘targeted’ offence given ‘he knew both were young and significantly junior in rank to him’.

As Morgan had spent 23 years on the force, DCI Bonner also said that he would have known about the impact of sexual offences on victims.

He added: ‘They should have been able to trust him to the ends of the earth, he should have acted as a role model.

‘He acted without a shred of integrity and sexually assaulted them in the presence of the public and junior colleagues.’

In a statement read at the disciplinary hearing in November, Morgan said: ‘I am very remorseful, I apologise whole-heartedly to the victims for any emotional impact on them.

‘I have made stupid mistakes through intoxication, mental health and bad decision-making, which often go hand-in-hand.’

Morgan also claimed that his punishment for the offence ‘far, far outweighs the crime’ and the statement was critical of the investigation and prosecution’s lack of consideration for his mental health.

He continued: ‘For 23 plus years I gave my all and yes I made a stupid, stupid mistake but you have done your utmost to destroy me.

‘Cleveland Police was my life. Regardless of what I did you still had a duty of care towards me and my family which has been ignored.’

Cleveland Police Chief Constable Mark Webster, who chaired the disciplinary hearing in Stockton-on-Tees, told those present: ‘He showed a serious lack of respect and courtesy. He was a supervisory officer at a social event in a public setting. 

‘They were his subordinates and his authority over them is still a factor. he should have been setting an example.

‘His behaviour discredits policing in general and Cleveland police in particular.

‘Members of the public will be greatly concerned to know a supervisory male officer sexually assaulted two people who were his subordinates.’

‘I impose disciplinary action and indicate he would have been dismissed had he remained with the force, as a consequence he will be placed on the College of Policing barred list.’

The hearing barred him from working as an officer again.

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