Police officer, 39, lifted up skirt of female constable and exposed her underwear during drunken work party, court hears
- PC Steven Lodge, based in Hastings, approached a female colleague on a work night out and lifted the officer’s skirt, exposing her underwear, a court has heard
- Chichester Crown Court heard the female officer was left shocked over incident
- Colleague who was also at event told court Lodge laughed and ‘found it amusing’
- Lodge charged with sexual touching and voyeurism and has denied the charges
A police officer lifted the skirt of a female colleague during a drunken works party, a court was told.
PC Steven Lodge, 39, approached the woman with his mobile phone torch lit as she stood with colleague on a balcony at the party.
With the torch function lit, the court was told Lodge then reached down and lifted the officer’s skirt exposing her underwear.
The stunned constable screamed in horror and immediately fled the balcony to escape her colleague and later broke down in tears.
PC Steven Lodge, who is based at Hastings Police Station in East Sussex (pictured), is on trial accused of lifting a female colleagues skirt up while they were both attending a work night out
Today PC Lodge is on trial at Chichester charged with two counts of sexual touching and one count of voyeurism.
The officer, who is based in Hastings, East Sussex, denies all the charges.
The female officer wept yesterday as she described the moment her works night out turned into a nightmare.
Chichester Crown Court officers from Hastings had gone out drinking prior to a birthday party in June 2019.
They had started drinking at Wetherspoon’s at around 4.30pm before moving on to Bexhill and Hastings Rugby Club for the 30th birthday party of a colleague which began at 7.30pm.
Officers drank and danced the night away but as the event was coming to a close around midnight some officers went out onto the clubhouse balcony.
The female officer was standing on the balcony talking to another colleague when she saw PC Lodge approaching her with his mobile phone torch lit up.
She told the court: ‘As we were standing on the balcony some of the other people who were at the party came outside and I was aware that Steve Lodge had also come out onto the balcony.
PC Steven Lodge is accused of two counts of sexual touching and one count of voyeurism which he denies and is standing trial at Chichester Crown Court. He has denied all charges
‘He was carrying his mobile phone in his hand and I could see that the torch feature was lit
‘He came up behind me and I felt my skirt being lifted up and I was aware that my underwear was on show because I could feel my skin exposed.’
She said she pushed down her skirt with her right hand and immediately spun away from him.
The officer said: ‘I spun towards my right and I remember making a scream or squeal noise as a reaction to what had happened.’
She went into the clubhouse and sat down but was approached by Lodge who then draped his arm across her shoulder.
She said: ‘He came over. I was sat down. I was not crying but I was shocked at what had happened.’
She said he put his right arm over her right shoulder and said: ‘Come and talk with me outside.
‘I said no. Almost instantly I stood up and walked away to go down to the toilets as I knew I was going to cry.’
Asked by defence counsel, Richard Cherrill, if she had overreacted to an accidental lifting of her skirt she said: ‘I do not agree it was an overreaction.’
Fellow officer, PC Georgia Wilson, said her colleague came in and sat at a table looking upset.
‘She said Lodge had just lifted her skirt up. Lodge started laughing to which she stood up and walked off crying. Lodge was laughing as if he found it amusing.’
PC Nick Crowe said the female officer came in off the balcony and sat next to him in the clubhouse.
He said: ‘She was visibly upset. She said Lodgy thinks it’s okay to lift my skirt over my head.’
The case continues.