A police officer who raped a woman after groping her on their first night out and attacked another victim he met on an internet dating site has been jailed. Michael Darbyshire attacked the women to demonstrate “control, power and to satisfy his own sexual cravings and demands”, Worcester Crown Court was told.
The West Mercia cop, 57, groped the first woman in the beer garden of the White Hart pub in Fernhill Heath, Worcestershire, in November 2018. The pair had been introduced by a mutual friend who worked for the police a few days earlier.
In her police statement, she said: “All of a sudden his mouth went straight over mine. I could feel his teeth and tongue at the back. It was forceful. He put his hands down my trousers. I was shocked.
“He wouldn’t listen, I kept saying no, I felt trapped. I didn’t want to die, didn’t want him to threaten me.
“I make excuses for people (after drinking), I kept thinking ‘that can’t be him’, he is a police officer.”
Darbyshire then drove her home while drunk where the victim let him in but told him “nothing was going to happen”. When she got up, she realised Darbyshire had blocked her car in with his own.
The woman added: “I panicked then, I thought he knows what he is doing. I felt trapped. He went ‘come on I haven’t finished with you’.”
She said Darbyshire then “forcefully” raped her on the bed. Darbyshire attacked another woman on August 29, 2019, after he met her on dating site Match.com
Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, said Darbyshire subjected the woman to humiliating abuse while sexually assaulting her. He said: “It was all about control, power and satisfying his own sexual cravings and demands.”
A previous trial in March 2021 resulted in a hung jury but following a retrial he was found guilty of rape and five counts of sexual assault. Speaking after he was jailed for 14 years, Deputy Chief Constable Alex Murray, of
West Mercia Police, said: “The crimes committed by Michael Darbyshire were abhorrent. The victims in this case showed great bravery and courage in coming forward and supporting our investigation.
“They have been incredibly patient through the process, and I would like to thank them for helping ensure a dangerous individual will now face the consequences of his crimes.
An accelerated misconduct process will now take place to sack Darbyshire from the force.
