A police officer has been accused of “acting out a rape fantasy” in a group chat with other constables – including Sarah Everard’s murderer, Wayne Couzens.
Warning: This article contains details of graphic text messages containing offensive language.
William Neville, 34, described how he “pinned a 15-year-old girl going mental on the floor” as a “struggle snuggle”, Westminster Magistrates’ Court has heard.
Neville, from Weybridge in Surrey, is in court alongside fellow Metropolitan Police constable Jonathon Cobban 35, and former officer Joel Borders, 45, charged with sending “grossly offensive messages”.
The trio had previously been in the Civil Nuclear Constabulary before moving to the London force in February 2019.
They deny improper use of a public electronic communications network, contrary to the Communications Act 2003.
The court heard how Neville described his first call as an urgent assistant, where he “pinned a 15-year-old girl going mental on the floor”.
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He wrote: “I knew all the struggle snuggles would come in useful at some point.”
Cobban, who had volunteered to be a race and diversity custodian for his unit, replied: “Haha struggle snuggles are always useful… good skills!”
Prosecutor Edward Brown QC said this was “acting out a rape fantasy” and something Cobban “encourages” in his responses to the messages.
He added the expression “struggle snuggle” implies “using lawful physical restraint as an excuse or cover for non-consensual physical or sexual contact”.
‘Police should represent safe haven for victims of domestic violence’
Other messages the court heard included Cobban, from Didcot, Oxfordshire, saying domestic violence victims “love” being sexually assaulted, and “that’s why they are repeat victims more often than not”.
Borders, from Preston, Lancashire, is accused of speaking about raping a female colleague.
The prosecutor said: “Police officers should represent a safe haven for victims of domestic violence.
“Such derogatory comments about victims of domestic abuse serve to undermine this important policing objective.”
Couzens’ messages were not read in court due to ongoing investigations.
He is serving a whole life sentence for the kidnap, rape, and murder of Sarah Everard while he was a serving member of the Met.
