Former detective who bombarded teenage rape victim with drunken messages put behind bars
John Hamilton has been jailed being convicted of misconduct in a public office
A former detective who bombarded a teenage rape victim with inappropriate drunken messages has been jailed for 18 months.
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DC John Hamilton, 55, sent the vulnerable girl late-night voice messages and offered to take her on a drive close to the location where her abuser had taken her.
Hamilton, who had a 25-year policing career starting with the Metropolitan Police before transferring to the Northumbria force in 2019, had been working with adult protection safeguarding department investigating a historical allegation of rape.
Appearing at Teesside Crown Court on Friday, the former officer was jailed for 18 months after being found guilty of misconduct in a public office.
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The hearing was told that Hamilton "developed an unhealthy and entirely inappropriate interest" in the victim and started to send her "increasingly inappropriate messages with increasing frequency".
The Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Francis Laird KC, said Hamilton had breached the trust placed in him by a "highly vulnerable" teenager who "had turned to the police for help".
After a weekend when the girl had left her home, he made an unannounced visit to her school, and her head of year said Hamilton made her feel "unwelcome to remain in the room" with them, despite the girl indicating she wished her to stay.
That afternoon, he messaged the girl saying it had been good to talk to her and asked if she would like to go for a drive to a place near where her abuser had taken her.
Hamilton sent the girl "increasingly inappropriate" messages through the night and into the early hours of the morning and also sent two voice notes revealing he was heavily intoxicated, the court was told.
The defendant tried to "undo the damage" the following day by sending her a series of lighthearted messages, but she reported what had happened at school.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) started a criminal investigation into Hamilton in November 2021 after a referral from Northumbria Police.
He was suspended by the force and arrested by the IOPC later that month.
The IOPC said it concluded its investigation in February 2023 and referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service. Hamilton was charged in August 2024 and went on trial in February this year.
Detective Superintendent Donna Rose, from Northumbria Police’s Professional Standards Department, said: "Firstly, we want to recognise the bravery of the victim in this case in coming forward.
"When concerns were raised in relation to this individual he was suspended from duty. The case was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who conducted an investigation, during the course of which he retired.
"His actions were completely unacceptable and are in no way representative of the overwhelming majority of officers, staff and volunteers at Northumbria Police who come to work to make a positive difference to people’s lives.
"As a force, we have made it very clear that when someone falls below the standards expected and which they made a commitment to uphold we will take appropriate action.
"We can confirm, following his conviction, misconduct proceedings are also being progressed".
In mitigation, the court heard Hamilton’s messages were “pestering” but not “sexual, threatening or obscene”.