Serving police officer accused of sexually abusing young girl told her he was ‘lonely’

Published

1 year ago

August 1, 2023

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A serving police officer told a young girl he is alleged to have abused that he was lonely and wanted a girlfriend, a court has heard.

John Stringer, 41, who works for Gwent Police in southeast Wales is on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting the girl who is under 13, causing or inciting her to engage in sexual activity and causing her to watch a sexual act.

The girl’s father told the court how his daughter had described having “inappropriate” conversations with the defendant, as he gave evidence on Tuesday at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday.

He told prosecutor Ian Wright: “There has been occasions where she has come to us and said how John has told her things about his private life that we thought were a little bit not quite right for a young girl.

“(She) told us how John told her that he was lonely.”

The girl’s mother told the jury: “She would say that he’d said he wanted a girlfriend and that he missed his previous partner.

“She would say to me that he would chat to her about his loneliness and that… he was lonely without a girlfriend, and I would say you don’t need to have those conversations, it’s not really appropriate.”

She said she queried why an adult would tell a small child they were lonely.

The parents said that although they felt uncomfortable hearing about the conversations between their daughter and the defendant, they did not confront him.

The court previously heard from Mr Wright who said the defendant’s alleged abuse came to light after the girl made a disclosure to a teaching assistant at her primary school.

The school in Cardiff notified her parents and South Wales Police immediately.

Officers from the force then interviewed her on 15 July 2021.

The jury previously watched the girl’s interview with police during which she told an officer that Stringer had touched her inappropriately under a blanket and her clothing and would show her pornographic videos with half-naked women in them and ask her to “mimic” the actions of the performers.

She told them there had been a break in the alleged offending during two of the COVID lockdowns and when the restrictions eased the sexual abuse resumed.

A transcript of Stringer’s police interview in which he repeatedly denied the girl’s account of events was read to the court by Mr Wright and the officer in the case (OIC) Detective Constable Abbie Voice.

Another witness, who was a friend of the defendant said she had known him for 24 years but had lost contact with him for time when he moved to New Zealand to play rugby.

The woman told the court “he’s always been quieter” and “a private man”.

She said she had “no concern at all” about Stringer’s behaviour around children. Stringer, who is from Cardiff and was known to the girl, has pleaded not guilty to all five charges against him.

The trial continues.

UK

Gatwick Airport: Police release two people who were detained amid security incident as South Terminal reopens

Published

2 hours ago

November 23, 2024

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Gatwick Airport: Police release two people who were detained amid security incident as South Terminal reopens

Two people detained during a security incident at Gatwick Airport have been allowed to continue their journeys after a suspect package saw a “large part” of the South Terminal evacuated.

The terminal was closed for hours after the discovery of a “suspected prohibited item” in a passenger’s luggage sparked an emergency response. It reopened at around 3.45pm.

Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team “made the package safe” before handing the airport back to its operator, Sussex Police said.

Their statement continued: “Two people who were detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys.

“There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel.”

The force also thanked the public and airport staff for their patience while the incident was ongoing.

Earlier the airport, which is the UK’s second busiest, said the terminal was evacuated after a “security incident”.

“The earlier security alert has now been resolved and cleared by police,” it later said in a statement on Friday afternoon.

“The South Terminal is reopening to staff and will be open to passengers shortly.”

Gatwick said some flights were cancelled while others were delayed.

It said passengers should contact their airlines for any updates on flights.

Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of travellers heading away from the terminal building.

“Arrived at London Gatwick for routine connection. Got through customs to find out they’re evacuating the entire airport,” one passenger said.

“Even people through security are being taken outside. Trains shut down,” another passenger added, who said “thousands” of people were forced to leave.

Another passenger said people near the gates were being told to stay there and not go back to the departure lounge.

People outside the airport were handed blankets and water, passengers told Sky News.

The airport said its North Terminal was still operating normally.

Gatwick Express said its trains did not call at Gatwick Airport during the police response, but the airport said trains would start calling there again once the terminal was fully reopened.

More than 600 flights were due to take off or land at Gatwick on Friday, amounting to more than 121,000 passenger seats, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

UK

Starmer says UK will ‘set out a path’ to raise defence spending to 2.5%

Published

5 hours ago

November 23, 2024

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Starmer says UK will 'set out a path' to raise defence spending to 2.5%

The UK will “set out a path” to lift defence spending to 2.5% of national income in the spring, the prime minister has said, finally offering a timeframe for an announcement on the long-awaited hike after mounting criticism.

Sir Keir Starmer gave the date during a phone call with Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, in the wake of threats by Moscow to target UK and US military facilities following a decision by London and Washington to let Ukraine fire their missiles inside Russia.

There was no clarity though on when the 2.5% level will be achieved. The UK says it currently spends around 2.3% of GDP on defence.

Ukraine war latest: Follow live updates

A spokeswoman for Downing Street said that the two men “began by discussing the situation in Ukraine and reiterated the importance of putting the country in the strongest possible position going into the winter”.

They also talked about the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to fight alongside Russia.

“The prime minister underscored the need for all NATO countries to step up in support of our collective defence and updated on the government’s progress on the strategic defence review,” the spokeswoman said.

“His government would set out the path to 2.5% in the spring.”

The defence review will also be published in the spring.

While a date for an announcement on 2.5% will be welcomed by the Ministry of Defence, analysts have long warned that such an increase is still well below the amount that is needed to rebuild the armed forces after decades of decline to meet growing global threats from Russia, an increasingly assertive China, North Korea and Iran.

They say the UK needs to be aiming to hit at least 3% – probably higher.

With Donald Trump returning to the White House, there will be significantly more pressure on the UK and other European NATO allies to accelerate increases in defence spending.