Overview
- A jury at Southwark Crown Court found Metropolitan Police PC Lewis Rollins guilty of two counts of coercive or controlling behaviour and three fraud charges on Tuesday.
- The judge sentenced Rollins to an 18-month community order and 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and ordered him to pay £3,132.50 compensation to one victim within six months.
- Court evidence showed Rollins used relationships formed on dating apps to obtain money to feed an out-of-control gambling habit, with victims giving sums such as an £800 loan and a later £4,000 loan, £1,500 for rent, and transfers used for wagers.
- Rollins was previously convicted at an earlier trial of assaulting a woman who intervened and the jury failed to reach a verdict on a separate damaging-property charge that prosecutors later dropped.
- Victims described lasting financial and emotional harm and reduced trust in the police, and the case underscores how a serving officer’s gambling addiction can translate into exploitation and raise questions about oversight and public confidence.