Overview
- At Bournemouth Crown Court, jurors watched the woman’s police interview in which she said she trusted the officer, got into his bed to sleep, and then froze when he became grabby.
- Prosecutors also showed WhatsApp messages where he invited her to stay in his bed and asked, “We fancy each other, right?”
- The charges allege rape, attempted rape, assault by penetration, and sexual assault after an encounter at a Dorset officers’ mess in November 2023.
- The complainant told two people the next day, attended a sexual assault referral centre where staff photographed bruising to her chest, legs, and arms, and filed a formal police report in January 2024.
- Ricky Shepherd denies the allegations and told police the sex was consensual, suggesting she accused him because she felt embarrassed.