Declan Middleton: Domestic abuse unit cop ‘had sex with victim in her home’

A policeman working on a domestic violence unit had sex with a crime victim when he visited her home during lockdown, a court heard yesterday.

PC Declan Middleton, 33, also struck up inappropriate and sexualised relationships with two other female victims of domestic abuse, Leeds Crown Court was told.

The court heard he was given the nickname ‘PC 90 degrees’ – because he was not ‘straight’. Middleton is no longer in the West Yorkshire force, but at the time of the alleged offences, he was with a specialist domestic violence response team in Bradford.

Prosecutor Kitty Colley claimed when he investigated crimes against the three women, ‘he took advantage of them all and the trusted position he was in’.

The victims weren’t known to each other and were all ‘vulnerable’, she said. Middleton denies three counts of misconduct in public office between May 2020 and October 2021.

The first woman reported being kidnapped and assaulted by her former partner.

Middleton was tasked with visiting her at home to obtain a statement and photograph her injuries.

‘He flirted with her and asked to use the bathroom,’ said Ms Colley. As she led him up the stairs, he grabbed her bottom and said ‘nice a***’.

Afterwards, he gave her his personal mobile phone number and asked her to WhatsApp photos of her injuries.

Middleton, of Keighley, West Yorkshire, arranged another visit when he was on duty, and they had consensual sex, the court heard.

He asked her to keep their relationship a secret, texting: ‘Don’t say owt, love.’

The second woman reported her abusive ex-partner contacting her. Ms Colley claimed Middleton was ‘very familiar’ and behaved as if they were on a date, asking about her life.

‘She was clearly flattered by his attention,’ said Ms Colley.

He gave her his personal number, and they were to exchange around 400 messages. He sent images of himself. And she sent an image of herself lying down, wearing just a thong.

The third complainant contacted police at the same time and was another domestic violence victim.

Again, he gave her his personal number and also sent messages of a sexualised nature.

Middleton had closed the case against her at an early stage but did not inform her.

She believed he was stalling the investigation because she would not sleep with him. He gave a ‘no comment’ interview on his arrest.

The trial continues.