Court heard that a Hampshire police sergeant raped a colleague

A police sergeant accused of raping a female police officer wrote to his victim in a text message: “It’s not rape if you enjoy it at the end,” a court heard.

Sergeant Richard Heard, 44, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape and three counts of voyeurism.

His alleged victim, a policewoman, gave evidence at Bournemouth Crown Court.

She told jurors that Sergeant Heard sent her the message in September 2022 after raping her on two separate occasions.

In a recorded police interview from September 2023, she said the first incident occurred in July 2022.

She said: “He unbuckled my belt, it felt like tug of war. I said no and then I pulled myself up to pull up my pants and he pushed me back down.”

Jurors were told that she eventually “just stopped fighting” and that she took photos of the bruises on her arm two days after the incident.

The next alleged rape occurred in August. At the time, he told her: “I like it when you hurt.”

“I just wish my phone would record or something,” she added.

In his opening statement, prosecutor Andrew Bird KC told the court that Sergeant Heard had two children and a steady partner and had been a police officer for over 20 years.

He said the third alleged rape took place in September 2022, when the victim again asked Sergeant Heard to stop and he replied: “I’ll be quick.”

The jury heard that the three counts of voyeurism related to a series of images and videos taken by Sergeant Heard of the plaintiff.

Sergeant Heard also faces charges of using force or coercion, assault by beating and obstruction of justice.

The crimes all reportedly occurred between January 2022 and August 2023, when he was off duty.

Suspended Sergeant Heard also faces further charges of malicious communications against a second victim in June 2023.