A former Surrey Police sergeant has been given a suspended sentence after he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a victim of domestic abuse.

Former sergeant Stephen Kirkpatrick, 36, was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, July 30, to a four month suspended sentence.

He previously pleaded guilty to to misconduct in a public office after forming an "inappropriate" sexual relationship with a victim of domestic abuse while he was the officer responsible for investigating the case.

The case was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in January 2020 after the allegation came to light.

Kirkpatrick resigned from the Force in September 2020, and pleaded guilty at a subsequent court hearing.

Following his sentencing, internal misconduct proceedings against Kirkpatrick will now take place. Kirkpatrick was also ordered to carry out 200 community of community work.

IOPC regional director Graham Beesley said previously of the case:

"Cases where officers abuse their position for sexual purposes are among the serious examples of corruption we investigate. The public has a right to expect police officers to uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism – and that those who fail to do this will be investigated and dealt with robustly. Now former PS Kirkpatrick has pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office he is paying the price and has a criminal record alongside his name."

T/Assistant Chief Constable Alison Barlow meanwhile said that Kirkpatrick had let down the wider public as well as the victim in question:

"In this case, former sergeant Kirkpatrick not only let a vulnerable victim down but also the wider public who place their trust in policing as well as his police colleagues. We expect professionalism from all our employees and this type of behaviour has no place in policing. Whilst he resigned from the Force almost a year ago, he will still face gross misconduct proceedings at a later date following his sentence in court," she said.