A serving Metropolitan Police officer has been handed a suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of sexual assault. PC Joseph Demarco, who was off-duty at the time of the incident, avoided immediate incarceration following the assault in a London pub in December 2022.
Demarco received a 12-week prison sentence, which has been suspended for 12 months. In addition to the suspended sentence, he was ordered to pay £200 in compensation to the victim and complete 100 hours of unpaid work. The court also imposed a 12-month community order and ordered him to pay £85 in court costs and a £154 victim surcharge.
The incident occurred when Demarco, who had been drinking, inappropriately touched a woman in a pub. His conviction and subsequent sentencing raise further questions about the conduct of officers within the Metropolitan Police, an organisation that has faced significant scrutiny over its culture and standards in recent years.
Following the court's decision, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that misconduct proceedings would be initiated against PC Demarco. These proceedings will determine his future employment status with the force, given the serious nature of the criminal conviction. The outcome of such internal investigations can range from a formal warning to dismissal.
The case underscores ongoing efforts to address issues of trust and accountability within the police force, particularly concerning off-duty behaviour. Public confidence in policing is often influenced by how forces handle cases of misconduct and criminal behaviour by their own officers, regardless of whether they are on duty at the time of an offence.