Former Thames Valley policeman denies sexual assault

Sergeant Constandino Simeonidis, 55, is accused of coming up behind the woman and grabbing her bottom, before pulling down her tights and carrying out a sexual assault.

The alleged victim says she was left “embarrassed” and “humiliated” after the incident, but did not want to report it for fear of not being believed.

At Inner London Crown Court on Thursday, Simeonidis told jurors that the pair had been “very flirtatious” and were touching each other all evening.

“It was completely consensual and friendly and nothing seemed wrong,” he said.

Simeonidis became a City of London Police firearms sergeant in 2015 after leaving Thames Valley Police, where he started his career in 2003.

He and the female officer were out at a work party in 2022 having not previously interacted outside of work, the court heard.

He said that they began flirting and touching each other’s thighs while sitting in a restaurant, and that this escalated when they moved to a bar in the Square Mile.

“She said I really want to kiss you, I said we can’t, people will see us,” said Simeonidis.

He later added “it was all very flirtatious, very close” and that both had said how much they “liked” one another.

Edmund Blackman, prosecuting, said: “Your account and her account are very different aren’t they?

“Yes they are,” said Simeonidis.

“On her account there’s no physical flirting between you at the restaurant,” said Mr Blackman.

“She’s not being truthful,” said Simeonidis.

“Well Sergeant Simeonidis, could it just be that you’re not being truthful in order to exaggerate grossly her behaviour towards you that night?” asked Mr Blackman.

“That’s not true,” Simeonidis replied.

The alleged victim said that Simeonidis being “well thought of” by his colleagues contributed to her decision not to come forward.

Simeonidis qualified as a firearms officer in 2003 for Thames Valley police, before moving to the Metropolitan Police in 2015 and later to City of London police in 2021.

Jurors heard that he had been involved in responding to “many terrorist incidents” like the Westminster and Borough market attacks.

He had also received several commendations for “exceptional service” and was about to be promoted when the incident took place in 2022.

The woman did make a report to police in March 2023 after speaking to a friend about the night, and Simeonidis was charged in February 2024.

She remembers standing at the bar when she “felt a hand touch her bottom and then go between her legs”, said prosecutor Edmund Blackman.

“She shuffled away, thinking ‘that’s not right’, and heard the defendant behind her saying ‘good girl’ in reference to her.

“She then felt a tug on her tights and he put his hand inside her knickers and was touching her vagina.”

The woman says she was sexually assaulted and turned around to see Simeonidis with his fingers in his mouth.

Simeonidis has consistently denied the charges, and told jurors that he believes they have been brought for “malicious” reasons.

The sergeant told jurors that after the sexual touching: “She continued to dance against my body and everything about her seemed completely happy.”

He recalled an officer making a lewd comment which upset the alleged victim during the evening and said they both felt “very embarrassed” after the party.

Simeonidis, who has been with his partner for over 20 years, did admit that he deleted messages from the woman after the incident so that his “partner would not see them”.

“Did you delete those messages because you knew you were very, very badly in the wrong in the bar that night?” asked Mr Blackman.

“That’s not true,” said Simeonidis.

When he returned to the dock after giving evidence, Simeonidis broke down in tears.

He described being charged as the “most stressful time in his life” and said he “knew at that moment” that his “career was finished”.

Simeonidis, from Milton Keynes, denies sexual assault and sexual assault by penetration.

The trial continues.