Former police officer due in court charged with two counts of rape
Craig Winston has also been charged with several other offences
Last updated 8th Oct 2024
A former police officer is due in crown court after being charged with two counts of rape and several other offences.
Craig Winston, aged 35 and who was a student officer based in the Forest of Dean, has been charged with offences which relate to two women.
He is due to appear at Shrewsbury Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on Friday (11 October).
Winston was suspended from duty as soon as the allegations came to light in October 2022, and he resigned from the Force in February 2023.
The case was investigated by the Constabulary's Criminal Investigation Department with charges authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service.
The charges Winston faces are:
• Two counts of rape
• Two counts of sexual assault by penetration
• Causing someone to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity without consent
• Two counts of engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour
• Stalking involving serious alarm/distress
• Commit an act with intent to pervert the course of public justices
The charges relate to off-duty offences.
The Force referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and the IOPC returned it to the Force to investigate.