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Channel 4 - To Catch A Copper

397 replies

NameChangeAsICouldBeOverReacting · 29/01/2024 21:11

Thoughts?

I was luckily able to watch this during work due to my job and it absolutely SHOCKED me to my core and really affected me.

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6
OhItsOnlyCynthia · 31/01/2024 09:40

We watched this last night. We were absolutely horrified. What on earth is going on with these people (women?) haters going in to that line of work? They're allowed to get away with it, there are no consequences.

If I called someone, anyone, a fucking bitch at work, I'd fully expect to be instantly sacked. And that was the least bad of the behaviour we saw last night!

I'm impressed that Avon & Somerset agreed to the broadcast, I wonder if it's a one woman mission to show exactly what those with genuinely good intentions are up against.

IClaudine · 31/01/2024 09:49

crampycrumpet · 31/01/2024 09:33

Im surprised the cockings went on the program . Although the wife didn't show her face, there cant be many mrs cockings in their town

Because Cocking is an arrogant bastard who is probably getting a thrill out of having got away with it.

Waitingfordoggo · 31/01/2024 09:49

Like others, I was shocked that the jury/panel involved in Cocking’s trials believed a word he said. The extracts that were shown from his interviews made him sound ridiculous. ‘Oh, I told her to get off… I kept saying I’m working’. Absolute bullshit.

IClaudine · 31/01/2024 09:51

Why did he not get on the radio at any point and ask for back up? Why didn't he report he had been assaulted as soon as he got back to the station?

OhItsOnlyCynthia · 31/01/2024 09:52

Because PTSD 🤔

Waitingfordoggo · 31/01/2024 09:55

Clutching at straws I’m sure, but is there any scope for Cocking to be tried for rape? I know they were saying at one point that he couldn’t be retried over the same charges, but if he has not yet been tried for rape, maybe he could/should be? (Not that I would hold out any hope of a conviction).

Spiderzed · 31/01/2024 10:19

I honestly felt sick watching this, couldn't get past the first part. I can't imagine finding a suicidal woman who evidently is going through mental anguish and effectively torturing her. I can see why it gets frustrating with 'frequent fliers' as was implied by some of their comments, but you'd think they'd realise this woman isn't getting the support she needs evidently. It's one thing to not have the resource or tools to deal effectively with mental health incidents; it's quite another to act like that.

I actually came across a woman across a railway bridge and phoned the police, they were incredible with her, I was (sadly) surprised.

Aaaalrightythen · 31/01/2024 10:23

Waitingfordoggo · 31/01/2024 09:49

Like others, I was shocked that the jury/panel involved in Cocking’s trials believed a word he said. The extracts that were shown from his interviews made him sound ridiculous. ‘Oh, I told her to get off… I kept saying I’m working’. Absolute bullshit.

And the semi laughing while saying it as he is intentionally driving her to a remote location, apparently unable to steer the car away Hmm

Turkeyhen · 31/01/2024 10:46

Re the Cocking case, surely there are safeguarding procedures around a lone male police officer interacting with a lone vulnerable woman? Surely he shouldn’t have been on his own with her in the car with bodycam off? This happened before Sarah Everard but nevertheless surely there were already safeguarding procedures in place in 2017 or whenever it was that this happened?

Spiderzed · 31/01/2024 10:58

Just watched the rest. How on earth did he get found not guilty? Is it because they assume he didn't do it at all, or do they believe a drunk, vulnerable woman forced herself on him and forced him to have sex? I don't understand, it's vile.

Waitingfordoggo · 31/01/2024 11:09

I don’t understand it either @Spiderzed. At ALL. Sometimes you can see how people have come to a conclusion, even if you think they’re utterly wrong, but in this case I really cannot see how anyone arrived at that conclusion. I’d have liked to hear from someone who was on the panel/jury giving reasons for their thoughts.

MissMarplesNiece · 31/01/2024 12:57

"How on earth did he get found not guilty? Is it because they assume he didn't do it at all, or do they believe a drunk, vulnerable woman forced herself on him and forced him to have sex? I don't understand, it's vile."

Because there are still people - women included - who believe that women "were asking for it", "got what they deserve" that "men can't control themselves & their bodies - it's nature" and that "women lead men on" . The "Madonna -Whore" trope still exists and what's a drunk woman except a whore (not my belief in case anyone was wondering). Some men take advantage of those beliefs knowing that they'll get away scott free with rape & sexual assault. We only have to look back a couple of weeks to see the report about how the child sexual abuse in Rochdale was treated by the police to see how those girls were put into the whore category, and how shabbily they were consequently treated by the authorities.

If only the Home Secretary put as much effort & resource into trying to sort out the police as he does in trying to get 100 people sent to Rwanda.

RoseBucket · 31/01/2024 12:59

MissMarplesNiece · 31/01/2024 12:57

"How on earth did he get found not guilty? Is it because they assume he didn't do it at all, or do they believe a drunk, vulnerable woman forced herself on him and forced him to have sex? I don't understand, it's vile."

Because there are still people - women included - who believe that women "were asking for it", "got what they deserve" that "men can't control themselves & their bodies - it's nature" and that "women lead men on" . The "Madonna -Whore" trope still exists and what's a drunk woman except a whore (not my belief in case anyone was wondering). Some men take advantage of those beliefs knowing that they'll get away scott free with rape & sexual assault. We only have to look back a couple of weeks to see the report about how the child sexual abuse in Rochdale was treated by the police to see how those girls were put into the whore category, and how shabbily they were consequently treated by the authorities.

If only the Home Secretary put as much effort & resource into trying to sort out the police as he does in trying to get 100 people sent to Rwanda.

Re the bit you highlighted, it was the jury who found him not guilty, unbelievable but true sadly.

MILTOBE · 31/01/2024 13:23

Spiderzed · 31/01/2024 10:58

Just watched the rest. How on earth did he get found not guilty? Is it because they assume he didn't do it at all, or do they believe a drunk, vulnerable woman forced herself on him and forced him to have sex? I don't understand, it's vile.

They must have thought that a) it didn't happen or b) it was consensual. Unbelievable either way.

LIZS · 31/01/2024 13:43

Also depends how robust the victim's evidence was. Suspect she was vulnerable and perhaps easily undermined by a defence barrister.

Turkeyhen · 31/01/2024 13:53

In the Cocking case the woman didn't appear as a witness in either the criminal hearing or the misconduct hearing which perhaps weakened the case against him. I'm not clear on whether she could have appeared as a witness, but it's quite understandable if she didn't want to. When we hear her call to report what had happened it's clear that she doesn't know what action, if any, could be taken. She sounds genuinely distressed, she knows what happened was wrong, she doesn't use the words assault or rape, she just wants to tell someone that this has happened to her and it isn't right. I find it hard to believe that if she had assaulted him she would have called it in at all, although I daresay his defence would argue that she was blind drunk and misremembered or was lying to cover herself or some such BS.

OldTinHat · 31/01/2024 13:56

Turkeyhen · 30/01/2024 22:09

Police officers mock body-worn video of semi-naked woman https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67958136

This is so vile. I'm glad this is all coming to light.

Turkeyhen · 31/01/2024 14:00

I haven't got the link to hand, but Avon and Somerset Police publish lists of misconduct hearings on their website with details of the misconduct and the outcome. The Cocking case is listed as "not proven". The majority of the cases seem to either end in dismissal or "would have been dismissed" where the officer has resigned. I found this slightly reassuring to read, because the way all of those officers got off with no consequences for their actions is haunting me.

Also, reading up about Sarah Crew, the Chief Constable, she sounds like a thoroughly good egg who is determined to sort this shit out.

Noseylittlemoo · 31/01/2024 14:46

I also watched with absolute horror and found the end results of all three cases shockingly unsatisfying. Even the programme title was disappointing - to catch a copper (and then let them get away with it).
I can't believe that we are supposed to believe that a woman who was so drunk she could barely stagger and needed accompanying home, could suddenly manoeuvre herself from the back to the front of the car and force herself on a sober man trained to deal with violence. The way he described it , it was as if he was wearing swimming trunks not a protective police uniform! And why was he even stopping in the woods to start with - he should - if the scenario is even allowed at all take her as quickly as possible to a point of safety.

I hope that his agreement to take part in the programme backfires and that he is vilified by all that recognise him. Wipe the smirk off his face.

Mrsjayy · 31/01/2024 15:23

everytime another poster talks about that man and his sexual assault It just reads as total Bullshit and how he got away with it is beyond me !

Waitingfordoggo · 31/01/2024 15:29

When we hear her call to report what had happened it's clear that she doesn't know what action, if any, could be taken. She sounds genuinely distressed, she knows what happened was wrong, she doesn't use the words assault or rape, she just wants to tell someone that this has happened to her and it isn't right.

I found that call upsetting to hear. When she tentatively asked ‘is it ok?’

She knew it wasn’t ok and she was incredibly brave to phone and report it. I hope she is doing all right, wherever she may be.

Zonic · 31/01/2024 15:31

@Noseylittlemoo

He claimed it started when she pulled her clothing down . He could have stopped the car got out and called for backup . He was just a chancery who thought two steps ahead to get himself out of trouble and got himself a smart barrister .

Mrsjayy · 31/01/2024 15:34

I mean how many more "incidents" will he be involved in he might have "accidental" sex with many many women . probably wrap it up as a "sex addiction " and well his mental health isn't great so you know...

MorrisZapp · 31/01/2024 15:45

I can't imagine Cockings wife would been reassured by his own defence - that the lady 'took her knickers off and said f me, and I said I can't, I'm working'.'

'I can't, I'm working?' begs a million questions, none of them good news for his marriage.

CrystalDelta · 31/01/2024 17:09

Didn't they! The ones who abused the woman in the wheelchair just looked like they were in a friendly meeting with the right on teacher.