Former officer jailed for sexual assault

A former Bedfordshire Police officer who sexually assaulted a woman on a night out has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

Former officer James Barratt-Barnett had already been dismissed from the force at an Accelerated Case Hearing after being found guilty of assault by penetration and a further two counts of sexual assault following a trial at Huntingdon Crown Court in April.

During the trial it was heard that after a night out in Bedford in 2022, he got into bed with the woman, despite her not consenting, and proceeded to sexually assault her. 

Barratt-Barnett, 25, admitted his actions but claimed it had been consensual. However, he was convicted of all three charges and today (Monday) was sentenced to three years and six months for assault by penetration, and he received one year and six months for the two further counts of sexual assault to run concurrently.

He has also been placed on the Sex Offenders' Register.

Detective Chief Superintendent Zara Brown, who drives the force’s response to violence against women and girls, said: “There is no place in society for violence against women, and especially within policing, as it betrays the trust and confidence the public should have in us as a service.

“Barrett-Barnett was a probationary officer for a short time and had just completed his initial training when he committed these offences, and he has since been dismissed from the force.

“We will continue to take robust action against anyone who acts in this way, and we will continue to root out these behaviours in society.  

“I highly commend the victim who showed great bravery by reporting what has happened to her, as well as giving evidence during the trial which ultimately brought him to justice.

“We will never accept this sort of behaviour, consent is paramount and no will always mean no. It is never too late to report anything that has happened to you, and we have specialist teams who will work closely with you and will believe you.”

For more information on what Bedfordshire Police is doing to tackle male violence against women and girls, you can visit the dedicated webpage.

Reports of sexual assault or abuse, even if non-recent, can be made to the police by calling 101. Always call 999 in an emergency.