Police officer tried to rape woman in hotel room, court hears

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A police officer shoulder barged his way into a woman’s hotel room wearing only a towel and attempted to rape her, a court has heard.

Daniel Julian, 46, of Sussex Police, is accused of sexual assault, sexual activity without consent and trying to rape another police officer in Kent on August 17, 2021.

Jurors at Lewes Crown Court heard on Monday how the woman secretly recorded part of the alleged attack as she saw her phone under the bed and she feared she was going to be raped.

Prosecutor Julie Whitby said in the recording Julian can be heard repeatedly asking the woman to show him her breast, to which she repeatedly says no.

In a video interview shown to jurors, the woman recalled the ordeal where she was scared and kept telling him no, but he “didn’t listen”.

She said: “He’s going to rape me and no-one’s going to believe me, but maybe if I have got a video of it someone will believe me.

“I just pressed randomly where I thought the record button was and just left it.”

The court heard how that night Julian barged his way into her room wearing a towel and pinned her against the wall and tried to kiss her, before getting on top of her and trying to pull down her jogging bottoms.

Jurors heard from the alleged victim’s interview that she hit her head and back during the incident, and that she was screaming for her father in her head.

Ms Whitby said: “At times she was laughing because she didn’t know what else to do, it was her way of coping.

“She managed to push him off, she kicked his towel after him.”

She added: “She didn’t consent to his actions. (She was) saying ‘no’, ‘get off’, ‘stop’ – he would have known she wasn’t consenting to his behaviour.”

The prosecution noted after the incident bruises appeared on the woman’s body caused by his grabbing and gripping.

Julian, of Pulborough, West Sussex, denies all the charges.

Previously, Sussex Police said Julian was suspended from duty after he was charged over the incident in April 2023.

The trial continues.