Shropshire Star

West Mercia Police officer, 40, jailed for ending assault investigation into sex worker he slept with

A former police officer has been jailed after stopping an assault investigation against a sex worker he slept with.

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Nicholas Peacock, 40, who was a career police officer, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court after previously admitting one charge of misconduct in a public office.

Daniel Oscroft, prosecuting, told the court that Peacock had been tasked with investigating an assault by a woman in February 2022.

An independent witness had called 999 to report that the woman, from Whitchurch, had punched another lady in the face, pulled her hair and had thrown her phone to the floor.

The court heard that Peacock was assigned to investigate the case - with the suspect considered by police intelligence to be a sex worker and drug addict.

Mr Oscroft said Peacock, of Victoria Road, Market Drayton, then proceeded to close the investigation - saying there were no witnesses and no CCTV of the attack.

He told a superior that the victim had not replied to attempts to interview her, and that the witness was not prepared to provide a statement - neither were true.

Mr Oscroft said that Peacock's lies began to unravel when the alleged attacker was then arrested on an unrelated matter in April.

When police downloaded the contents of her phone they found a contact called 'Police Nick' - with messages between the two having what was described as a 'sexual undertone'.

At that point the information was passed to the force's corruption unit.

A message from February 2022 showed the woman asking if Peacock would conduct her interview - he replied saying "no" and he was back in on Friday.

A message sent in March told Peacock it was "999 weekend so boys in blue get 50 per cent off".

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