Jury discharged in Waterlooville police constable rape trial after four test positive for Covid-19

Four members of the panel tested positive for Covid-19.

David Longden-Thurgood, 48 was on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of the rape of the woman, a mother aged in her 30s, during a date at her home in October 2020.

One juror reported that they had tested positive yesterday, leading to him being discharged.

Today, three further panel members jurors tested positive, leading to Judge Robert Bright QC discharging the jury.

He told the jury: ‘Unfortunately the outcome is that the trial has had to come to an end.

‘You have been incredibly patient and committed to the case.’

Longden-Thurgood, who serves with Hampshire Constabulary, denies a single charge of rape.

The prosecution was given 14 days to indicate whether it would be seeking a retrial.

Longden-Thurgood met the complainant after first meeting on the dating app Bumble, court heard.

Jurors heard in court on last Tuesday that they agreed to see each other after exchanging sexualised messages on WhatsApp.

SEE ALSO: Waterlooville police officer accused of raping businesswoman ‘would not take no for an answer’, Winchester Crown Court told

The police constable visited the complainant at her home and the pair sat on her ’cuddle sofa’ with her legs over his, the court heard.

The complainant told the court she had been happy to ‘spoon’ with the defendant but had told him she did not want any ‘funny business’ and they were not having sex that night.

She added that kissing in bed became ‘passionate’, but then he penetrated her.

The woman said that he told her: ‘I can’t stop, it feels so good’, which Longden-Thurgood claims was ‘a blatant lie’.