Two officers from the Metropolitan Police were handed suspended sentences by a court on Monday after they sexually assaulted a woman at a casino in central London, disregarding her desperate pleas for them to stop.
The court at Southwark heard that Jerome Beasley, 43, and Luke Robinson, 40, were seen repeatedly groping the woman’s breasts in plain sight of other patrons.
The incident occurred at the rooftop bar of the Hippodrome Casino near Leicester Square in the early hours of April 22, 2024, while the officers were off duty.
Judge Mark Weekes sentenced Robinson to 15 months and Beasley to 18 months in prison, both sentences suspended for a duration of two years.
Beasley, hailing from North Harrow in north-west London, and Robinson from Northampton, were also required to complete 250 hours of community service and engage in a 30-day rehabilitation program.
Additionally, a five-month overnight curfew was imposed on each of the men.
They were both subjected to a five-year restraining order, instructed to pay the victim £750 in compensation, along with £150 towards legal costs.
Following their admission to the assault, the pair was dismissed from the Central West Command Unit of the Metropolitan Police.
Beasley faced four charges of sexual assault, while Robinson was charged with three, and both men changed their pleas to guilty shortly before their trial began.
CCTV evidence depicted Beasley and Robinson repeatedly approaching the victim and groping her.
Judge Weekes remarked, “Your conduct was obviously offensive to all decent individuals. There is, justifiably, significant public concern regarding the behavior of Metropolitan Police officers. The public deserved far better. Your actions not only reflect poorly on yourselves but also cause embarrassment and frustration for the vast majority of officers who do adhere to the expected high standards of conduct.”
In a statement, Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah of the force condemned the actions of the officers as “inexcusable,” asserting that it was necessary for them to be held accountable for their behavior.
“There is no place in the Met – or in any workplace – for individuals who think such conduct is acceptable. We recognize that behavior like this greatly erodes public trust and confidence in the Metropolitan Police, which is why we are actively working to identify and remove personnel who fail to maintain our standards,” she stated.
