Tim Clarkson, 37, was described as taking the evening as an opportunity to “try it on” with multiple female officers as his marriage to a policewoman fell apart.
A visibly emotional Clarkson today appeared in the dock at Staines Magistrates’ Court, where he received an eighteen-month Community Order, which includes 200 hours community service work.
The court heard he has quit the Hampshire Constabulary, where he was facing certain dismissal and is £40,000 in debt and continuing to co-parent his children with his estranged wife.
Last year, he and four fellow-officers received a National Police Bravery Award after he was first on the scene and successfully disarmed a suspect brandishing a handgun and two explosive devices.
At the Gosport address on August 28, 2023 the 54 year-old suspect detonated one of the devices and pointed his gun at Clarkson, who tasered him and dragged him from the smoke-filled property.
Clarkson, of Shore House, Newton Road, Warsash, Southampton pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault at the Winchester pub on July 20, last year.
He will now also suffer the ignominy of signing the sex offenders register for the next five years at Southampton Central Police Station.
District Judge Julie Cooper said: “I am not going to name the ladies, who were also police officers at the time.
“Both offences are incidents of touching with the first lady’s hand being taken by Clarkson and placed on his penis over his clothing and pulling another lady towards him and his apparently erect penis.”
Elaborating on the first incident Judge Cooper explained: “He pulled her close to him and said quite a few sexually-related things.
“He said to her: ‘What the f*** did you have to bring your boyfriend for?’ and that he would like to take her back to his hotel and touched her on top of her clothing.
“It was Mr Clarkson’s birthday and he had clearly been drinking and the second lady was dancing when he pulled her into him and caused her to touch what she believed to be his erect penis.”
In her victim impact statement the first female officer said: “As a result of this incident I have lost my trust in supervisors and I am very wary and want to keep my distance.
“Sometimes I question myself since this happened and ask myself why I did not turn around and say something.
“He had relationship issues with his wife and this occasion was an opportunity to get drunk and try it on with multiple people.
“It was a works night out with colleagues I trusted.
“He was in a position of trust and I feel depressed, stressed and hurt.”
The second female officer said in her impact statement: “I think about what happened, going over and over the events as to why this happened.
“I did not want to make a formal complaint, but I feel really angry about what happened and I no longer enjoy the job I loved.
“I have had to start taking anti-depressants again and have had three panic attacks at home.
“I am concerned he believes he can behave like this in the future around other female officers and I would feel guilty if I did not report it as I could have prevented it for them.”
Judge Cooper also ordered Clarkson to pay £500 compensation to each victim and complete ten days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.
“The pre-sentence report sets out clearly what happed and as a result of this the marriage, that was rocky, has completely broken down and I am aware Mr Clarkson has resigned, knowing that he would have been sacked.
“He has given service, excellent service to the public and is a person of good character, but acted appallingly against two women he worked with,” said the judge.
“They were all on night out and all seemed to have been drinking, but this does not excuse his behaviour.
“To impose less than five hundred pounds compensation to each woman would be derisory.”
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