Met Police sergeant 'raped stranger on Brighton beach' during own stag do
A serving Metropolitan Police officer has gone on trial accused of raping a stranger on Brighton beach while he was on his own stag do.
Sergeant Laurence Knight was off-duty at his stag party on July 17 last year when he allegedly carried out the attack after his group were entertained by strippers at their AirBnb in the Sussex resort.
Knight, 34, had met the 21-year-old in Brighton town centre while social distancing rules were still in place due to Covid-19.
They headed for the sea and were treading water together when Knight complained he was having a 'rubbish night' and meant to be having fun, jurors heard.
Knight allegedly moved her underwear to one side and raped her after she told him: "You're getting married in two weeks".
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The police sergeant, who was based at Stoke Newington Police Station, north London at the time, denies rape and sexual assault.
Ms Maryam Syed, prosecuting, said Knight and the complainant were strangers when they bumped into each other in the early hours of 17 July in Brighton town centre.
"[The complainant] and her friends were intending to head to the beach area and had been drinking earlier and had bought a bottle of wine and were intending to share it at the seafront.
"'The defendant was in Brighton on his stag night and he was with a group of friends. Earlier in the evening they had been at the Airbnb property where they were staying where they had been visited by some strippers.
"They had gone out to the bars in the Brighton area.
Metropolitan Police Sergeant Laurence Knight at an earlier court hearing (PA)"During this time, social distancing rules were still in place because of COVID-19, and many bars were not open or had closed early.
"The group containing the defendant, then met the group containing the complainant and indicated they were looking for somewhere else to drink and were complaining about the lack of choice.
"The complainant suggested that the bars on the beach might still be open.
"The two groups ended up walking towards the seafront together, although there was no arrangement that they were going to go to the same bar to drink. As they moved forward, they were chatting.
"The defendant's group were unfamiliar with the Brighton area.
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"As the interactions between the groups continued as they walked across the beach front, the complainant was helping them.
"She was being friendly and you will see on the CCTV that at various points she shares her bottle of wine with the group, she hugs members of the other group and at one point for a short while she held hands with the defendant before they continue to walk separately."
The complainant told police two days later she did not want to go in the sea, but Knight insisted.
Ms Syed said: "She tells police that when they get to the sea front, the defendant wanted to go into the sea, and she did not wish to do thay.
"But he sought to persuade her, by telling her that it was his stag night, he was meant to be having fun, but it was turning into a rubbish night.
"She explained to police that he looked like he was going to cry, so she then relented and said yes.
"She did not wish to get her dress wet, so she went into the water wearing her underwear. She was not touching the defendant nor was he touching her at that point, they were simply treading water in the same area of the sea."
She said in her interview: "I was facing away from the shore and he kind of came up behind me and so we were both facing the same direction and he was behind me.
"I just remember it being really uncomfortable and it really hurt. I just said to him "What", like, "what are you doing, stop" and he didn't.
"He didn't reply to me at any point. He was just completely silent and I just kept saying, I literally just kept repeating; "Don't" like "What are you doing?"
"I said, "You're getting married in two weeks". "Just stop, don't do that" and he just didn't stop."
A member of Knight's group came up to the complainant and said: "oh, Larry [a name Knight goes by] wants me to tell you that he's sorry."
Once Knight had left, the complainant told her friends "I think I need to call the police. It is an emergency, I don't really know."
Knight, who is attached to Met Detention, the force’s custody command, was arrested on July 28 last year and has been suspended from duties whilst the investigation is ongoing.
Following his arrest, the Met Police made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for a misconduct investigation to take place.
Chief Superintendent Pete Gardner, in charge of Met Detention, said at the time: “We know people will rightly be concerned to hear about this very serious charge against a serving police officer.
“We absolutely share that concern and I am thankful to Sussex Police for their thorough investigation.
"The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards are fully aware and misconduct matters will be dealt with once the criminal proceedings have concluded.
"The officer is suspended from duty.”
Knight, of Leyton, east London , denied one count of sexual assault and one count of rape.
The week-long trial continues.
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