By Sheila Mckenzie-
A serving police officer who is in court accused of serious offences against three women after allegedly using restraint techniques he learned as part of his job against one complainant, and held a knife against the cheek of another.
PC Matthew Tregale, 33, a Devon and Cornwall officer, was remanded in custody accused of 10 offences including sexual assault, attempted rape, false imprisonment and coercive behaviour.
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He is also accused of sexual assault by intentional touching in late 2008, against the same woman.
Tregale was accused of eight offences between 2005 and 2010 against one woman, including sexual assault, attempted rape and false imprisonment.
They include two charges relating to her under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997
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The now disgraced cop is also accused of pinning her against the wall by her throat on one occasion, holding a knife handle to her cheek on another, and used restraint techniques against her. He also allegedly detained her against her will.
In addition, he is accused of engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour against a second woman between 2015-20. The charge alleged he used “police restraint techniques”, threw objects at her and threatened to push her down some stairs.
He denies all the alleged offences, which allegedly taken place between 2005 and 2021.
Devon and Cornwall police said the alleged offences occurred while he was off duty, adding that he had been subsequently suspended from the force.
But the deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram was told that Tregale, who appeared in the Channel 4 documentary Call the Cops, continued to work as a response officer until nine months ago and was only suspended after he was charged.
The case adds to the ever growing negative publicity given to the police force in the past few years, as more and more police officers continue to be brought before the courts for despicable offences.
Ikram, who heard the case from Westminster magistrates court in London via video link, ordered the officer to next appear at Exeter crown court on 25 August.
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