Humberside Police Officer was heard whispering that he was “going to rape” his colleague, before going on to attempt to sexually assault her home.
An investigation into police misconduct found that PC Christopher Lings (35), sexually harassed, and attempted to attack two female officers whom he was mentoring in 2019, and 2020.
He had received an official warning letter in May 2015 about his drunken behavior and inappropriate conduct towards young women.
Callum Cox presided over Tuesday’s hearing in Goole at the Old Magistrates’ Court today. He found Lings behavior to be gross misconduct. It was formally recorded that he would not have been fired if he hadn’t resigned last March.
Lings, a veteran officer, who was 16 years old, bullied the first complainant, Miss A, at her home in March 2020. When she invited other colleagues over for drinks and food, Lings retaliated.
Lings (a Grimsby-based police officer) was accused of putting another woman under unwanted touching during a Christmas party.
Humberside policeman Christopher Lings, 35, faced a gross misconduct hearing in Magistrates Court Goole (pictured) today
Lings asked Olivia Checa – Dover representing Humberside Police about Miss A’s virginity. She replied that she couldn’t wait and had already told Lings. [her boyfriend’s name]To come home, you will find me hanging from the back of your head’.
Two others were present at the event and heard his vulgar remarks.
The evidence in the case revealed that Miss A’s roommate overheard Lings say he was going to rape her later that night.
Miss A claimed that he also touched her leg, which she subsequently threw away.
Ms Checa-Dover said that she had made it clear that she did not want this type of contact.
Mr Lings was sent home because he was too drunk. He followed Mrs Lings and pushed her back onto the bed. He sat on her stomach, kissed and touched her.
She said that she had told him to stop but he laughed and continued on. He finally stopped after she kept repeating’stop!’
At the misconduct hearing, Miss A described how she was shaken and disillusioned by the incident. She later left the force in July 2020.
The reason she left the force was not clear.
The incident with Miss A led to criminal charges being brought against her, but the Crown Prosecution determined that the evidence was not sufficient to prove the case.
It was also heard in the hearing how Lings had sent Miss A a text asking her to ‘suck my c***’ a few weeks before the incident.
He whispered to the hearing that he was going to rape his colleague, before trying to assault her sexually (File photo)
Ms Checa–Dover also mentioned that the second complainant Miss B was at the Christmas party in Lincoln. When she returned to her room, Miss B heard Lings from another male and knocked on her door.
They chatted briefly before the second man left, leaving Lings alone.
She said that he was pushing her against the bed, and that she lay on his back. He also tried to get her to stop verbally, but it didn’t work at first and then it worked, and she fell asleep,” the barrister of the force stated.
Miss B then went out of her bedroom to search for another colleague.
Ms Checa -Dover stated that the two complainants were both female young officers in their 20s who had come forward independent of one another to share what happened.
Lings was absent from the hearing as he left Humberside Police over one year ago after an attempted assault against Miss A.
He also applied to keep his identity anonymous during the proceedings, but that was rejected as well.
Lings was absent from the hearing as he left Humberside Police in March 2021, more than a year following the assault attempt on Miss A. His name has been included on the College of Policing’s barred list for five-years (File Image)
Callum Cox, Panel Chair said that dismissal is the only result in this instance.
He stated that PC Lings’ behavior was ‘at high end’ on the severity spectrum, and that he had abused his position of accountability. This caused harm for both the complainants and the reputation of the force.
According to him, it was a substantial risk given the current climate of public trust in police.
Lings is now on the College of Policing’s barred list for five more years.
Matt Baldwin is the head of Humberside Police’s professional standards. He stated that he will take legal action against any member of the organization who may threaten our efforts to address this serious issue or actively contribute to it.
He isn’t facing criminal charges but his ex-employers decided that it would be in the best interest of the officer to have a hearing on disciplinary matters.
Gross misconduct has been ruled out by the disciplinary committee.