Watford Police officer explain after been accuse of woman raped

A former North Watford police officer has denied raping a woman, telling a court he does not remember her.

This morning, March 27, Sergeant David Stansbury made his appearance at Bristol Crown Court, where he is on trial for three counts of rape.

During his testimony, Stansbury refuted the accusations and stated he couldn’t recall being called to an event on her land.

Between October 23 and November 30, 2009, Stansbury, 43, of Ilminster, Somerset, is charged with raping the victim in Plymouth, Devon.

At the time, he worked as an officer for Devon and Cornwall Police. He is temporarily suspended from duty and is currently employed by Hertfordshire Police.

Stansbury had been employed by the North Watford Safer Neighbourhood Team, according to Herts Police. He covered Leggatts for the first five months starting in late 2012, then moved to Woodside.

Stansbury had previously served as an intervention officer in the Hertsmere area, answering 999 calls, and most recently as a member of the Safer Neighbourhood Team in Welwyn Hatfield.

After a suspect attempted to break through the woman’s door, he was summoned to her residence to record her statement.

Stansbury was one of the officers who responded when she dialled 999.

The alleged victim said she believes the first of three assaults started within days of her original 999 call.

Stansbury responded “no” when his defence attorney Jenny Tallentire questioned him about whether he had raped or had sex with the plaintiff.

“You will remember that when you were asked whether you remembered this incident in an interview, which was some time ago in November 2020, you didn’t,” the woman stated. Do you recall that occurrence from where you are now?

It is “I wish I did but I do not,” Stansbury remarked.

According to Ms. Tallentire, Stansbury claimed he did not recognise the alleged victim after being shown a photo of her during the police interrogation.

When asked if he now identified her, Mr. Stansbury replied that he didn’t.

Ms. Tallentire questioned whether there was anything “unusual” or “distinctive” about the incident and his notes after showing him documents from the day of the occurrence.

He stated that there was “not at all,” and Judge William Hart agreed, noting that a lot of “water would have flowed under the bridge since then” in the eleven years that had passed.

The accused victim told the court that she thought Stanbury had a tattoo or birthmark on the inside of his leg.

Stanbury denied having one and stated he had proven it to the interrogating officer in 2020.