Ex-police officer raped sleeping woman, jury hears

A "controlling and manipulative" former police officer raped one woman and sexually assaulted another as they slept, a court has heard.

Craig Winston, who was a student officer based in the Forest of Dean for Gloucestershire Police before he resigned in February 2023, is facing trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court on nine charges relating to two women.

The alleged assaults were said to have happened while he was off duty, and the trial heard on Thursday that Mr Winston, 36, attacked the women while they were asleep or "heavily intoxicated".

Mr Winston, of Bassaleg Road, Newport, Gwent, denies nine charges, including two counts of rape and two counts of controlling or coercive behaviour.

Ahmed Hossein KC, prosecuting, said Mr Winston's alleged victims described him as being "obsessive", while Google searches found on the defendant's phone included "sex with sleeping women".

Mr Hossein told the jury of eight women and four men: "Craig Winston is a manipulative man who raped one of these women and sexually assaulted the other to satisfy his obsession."

The trial heard that one of the complainants awoke on one occasion to find Mr Winston sexually touching her.

A second complainant said Mr Winston would refer to her as a "sex slave" to pay off "debts", would call her derogatory names and forced her to carry out sex acts she did not want to do.

The court was told Mr Winston also tried to persuade her not to speak to the police or give them a statement, for which he faces a charge of perverting the course of justice.

The defendant, who is on bail, is also alleged to have stalked the first complainant and Mr Hossein told the jury Mr Winston had admitted to a police officer "off the record" after his arrest that he was "obsessed" with her.

"Craig Winston embarked on a series of actions designed to impact her mental health and wellbeing in contravention of his bail conditions on the basis of a charge of stalking," Mr Hossein said.

"He was following her on (social media), liking her posts, contacting her friends, he started his own account and posted messages and songs.

"They didn't name her but were clearly to get a reaction."

The trial continues.

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