A serving police sergeant who sexually assaulted a woman in the water off Brighton beach has today (July 28) been given a two-year sentence.
Laurence Knight, 34, of Albert Road in Leyton, was a member of the Metropolitan Police at the time of the offence on 17 July, 2021.
Knight, who was off duty at the time, had been on Brighton beach for his stag party when he and the victim, a woman in her 20s, went for a swim in the sea.
He sexually assaulted her while they were in the water.
The woman and Knight had a verbal confrontation which concluded with the stag group leaving the beach, and she reported the incident to the police on the same day.
She was supported by specialist officers while an investigation took place.
Twelve days after the offence, on 28 July, 2021, Knight was arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault.
He was released on conditional bail and suspended from duty by the Metropolitan Police’s Directorate of Professional Standards.
He was subsequently charged with both offences and, at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, 29 June, he was found guilty of sexual assault and not guilty of rape.
At the same court today, Knight was jailed for one year, with an additional year to be spent on licence.
He is also the subject of a restraining order and has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for ten years.
Following conclusion of the criminal proceedings, the Metropolitan Police’s Directorate of Professional Standards has announced that Knight has resigned as a police officer, and will face an accelerated misconduct hearing on Thursday, 3 August.
Detective Sergeant Sean Booth, of Sussex Police’s Safeguarding Investigation Unit, said:
"Laurence Knight took advantage of a vulnerable woman and he betrayed the public, who as police officer, he had a duty to protect.
"He is an offender who has no place in any police force and has rightly faced justice.
"I would like to thank the victim for her bravery in reporting and supporting the investigation to its conclusion. Without her support, this result would not have been possible.
"This sentence should send a clear message that Sussex Police will take any reports of criminality seriously – regardless of a suspect’s profession – and ensure justice is served and victims are given the support they need."
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