Former police officer jailed for sexual act in patrol car after offering to take woman home

A former police officer has been jailed after the force appealed his suspended sentence for misconduct, after a member of the public performed a sex act on him in a patrol car.

Matthew Longmate, 48, formerly of Derbyshire Constabulary, had been given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for a year, after he was found guilty of a single count of misconduct in a public office in November, relating to sexual contact with a woman in his patrol car.

The force deemed the sentence unduly lenient and appealed it, leading the Judge to remove the suspended sentence aspect of his conviction.

He was subsequently jailed for 11 months (12 months minus unpaid work served).

On 4 October 2015, while on duty, he and a colleague offered to take a woman home following an incident at The Association bar in Chesterfield.

The trial heard that PC Longmate and PC Daniel Nash parked their car, and the woman had sex with Nash and performed a sex act on Longmate.

Longmate was dismissed from the force following his conviction.

DCC Simon Blatchly said “Matthew Longmate was found guilty of a horrendous crime, where in his role as a police officer he not only failed to protect, but actively sought to abuse his position while on patrol.

“As a force, we felt that a suspended sentence did not reflect the severity of the offence committed. We therefore appealed that decision, and I am pleased to see that today he is now in custody.

“The likes of Longmate have no place in policing and we will continue to do all we can to root out those who taint the hard work of the overwhelming majority of officers and staff in Derbyshire Constabulary.”

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