Met PC unanimously cleared of date rape cleared of misconduct in connection with same allegations

A Met Police officer who was unanimously cleared of a date rape has also been cleared of misconduct in connection with the same allegations. PC James Geoghegan, 28, was cleared of raping an off-duty female police officer at her home after a crown court trial a year ago. Chelmsford Crown Court heard Mr Geoghegan, of Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, had met the woman in her 20s on a night out in Essex in December 2018 and after an evening of dancing and talking had returned to her home. The woman told the jury she had told him "no" and to "stop" but he went on to have sex with her and after he awoke in the morning she asked him: "Did you not hear me say no?" However, Mr Geoghegan, who is based at the Met's North west Operational Command Unit, told the court this was a "complete shock" and the sex had been consensual.

The court heard he had offered to sleep on the sofa but she had "insisted" he sleep in her bed and laughingly said they were going to have a cuddle and a spoon. The jury believed his account and Mr Geoghegan wiped away tears as he was found not guilty. Last month a Met Police misconduct panel, which has the lower on the balance of probability threshold for guilt than beyond reasonable doubt needed at criminal trial, heard the same allegations. The panel heard that she told him that she did not consent to sexual relations with him, both through her physical and verbal interactions. An outcome summary published last week said: "On balance, the panel found PC Geoghegan’s account to be credible, particularly in light of the course of his relations with Ms A. "The many text exchanges confirm his interpretation of their relationship, that they were speaking of being a pair and having a long term future, certainly on his side. The impression is of him being very keen on Ms A, and of her encouraging that. "The panel cannot speculate and must confine itself to the evidence before it. It finds that this central aspect of the allegations remains unresolved. The panel has not found it possible to reach a conclusion as to whether Ms A was consenting to any or all of the sexual activity barring the kissing." He faces no further action.