Policeman smirks before avoiding jail for sexually assaulting students

Policeman, 40, smirks outside court before avoiding jail for exposing himself and sexually assaulting two students at a nightclub while on a work night out with fellow officers

• Lee Parker, 40, exposed himself and sexually assaulted two students
• The former policeman was given a 32-week sentence, suspended for two years

A police officer who exposed himself and sexually assaulting two students at a nightclub was seen grinning outside court before avoiding jail.

Lee Parker, 40, was on a night out with fellow officers when he carried out the attacks in Leeds, which left one victim so traumatised she was forced to quit her job.

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard how PC Parker, who served with West Yorkshire Police for 20 years before quitting the force, was off duty and had gone to Roxy’s Ballroom on a work night out in December 2021.

Carmel Pearson, prosecuting, said the defendant had been with colleagues from Bradford police along with other officers who had joined their group.

Lee Parker, 40, was pictured smirking outside Manchester Magistrates Court as he avoided jail

Lee Parker, 40, was on a night out with fellow officers when he carried out the attacks, which left one victim so traumatised she was forced to quit her job 

Around 10.40pm, he entered a karaoke booth at the club, she told the court, and he was caught on camera stood up with his ‘penis exposed’ in front of fellow clubbers.

A fellow officer also saw what was going on and told colleagues, Ms Pearson said.

Parker was then seen to ‘fasten up his trousers’ and footage captured him ‘dancing across the room’ and approaching a female officer.

Ms Pearson said he then positioned himself behind the officer and was seen ‘playing with his trousers’, suggesting ‘he was about to remove his penis, or had removed his penis’.

And another officer shouted at Parker: ‘Don’t you dare.’

The court heard how Parker went to the dance and bar area of the club and as one of his victims walked past him in a corridor he slapped her on the bottom.

‘The slap was very hard and the defendant was staring at her and laughing,’ Ms Pearson said.

‘When she asked what he had done, he continued to smirk.’

The woman told Parker she was going to have him removed from the club, but he replied: ‘No you won’t.’

Ms Pearson said Parker sexually assaulted a second student by grabbing her head pulling her face towards his and ‘kissing her fully on the lips.’

His grip was tight, she was unable to move away, Ms Pearson said, and the attack left his victim ‘horrified’.

Both women, who watched court proceedings from the public gallery, alerted security staff and Parker was ejected from the club.

But he didn’t leave immediately and was ‘aggressive’, Ms Pearson said.

The women were initially reluctant to report the incidents after discovering Parker was a police officer, but were encouraged to do so by other officers.

In statements, they expressed ‘disappointment and distrust’ and felt the incidents had ‘changed how they felt about police officers.’

Parker escaped prison and was handed a 32-week sentence, suspended for two years

One of the woman quit her job because she was so ‘traumatised’ by what happened, Ms Pearson said, which had been a means of supporting her through university, while the other victim had suffered with anxiety.

Parker pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault and a charge of outraging public decency at a hearing in January.

Daniel Weed, defending, said Parker did not seek to ‘minimise’ what had happened and was ‘genuinely remorseful’.

Parker had ‘little recollection of events because of his intake of alcohol’, Mr Weed said, and he described them as ’22 minutes of his life with significant ripple effects’ in a 20-year police career, which had seen him receive commendations for firearms and knife incidents.

‘Having lost his inhibitions on the night in question he’s lost his good character and his career,’ he added.

District judge Bernard Begley handed Parker a 32 weeks sentence, suspended for two years, saying ‘drink is no excuse for these kinds of offences’.

Parker, from Wakefield, was also order to pay £250 compensation to each victim, a £150 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

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