A MARRIED police officer accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Aberaeron has given evidence to the jury.

DC Sam Garside, of Dyfed-Powys Police, is on trial at Swansea Crown Court charged with sexual assault by penetration of a woman on December 3, 2021.

The 31-year-old from Cwmann denied the offence, and said the sexual contact between them had been consensual.

  • For the latest crime and court news for west Wales, you can join our Facebook group here.

Swansea Crown Court heard the alleged incident took place when both the defendant and complainant were walking from the Castle Hotel to the Prince of Wales.

“After the conversation started it became slightly flirtatious,” Garside said.

The defendant said he put his hands in his pockets to readjust his underwear, at which point he said the complainant made a comment “asking how big [his] c*** was”.

Garside told the jury that he and the complainant crossed the road on the way to the Prince of Wales.

“As we were walking, flirting, we gave each other a look, headed towards the doorway, and that’s when we started kissing,” he said.

He was asked who initiated this, to which he replied: “Both of us”.

“It didn’t go on very long,” he said. “It was a very short, brief incident.”

He said that he put his hand underneath her playsuit and penetrated her with his finger.

Garside said the complainant “made a little moan”, and this caused him to “take a step back”.

“Morally what we were both doing,” he said. “It had to stop.”

He said she had not resisted against him putting his hand under her clothing, and that he had no reason to believe she was not consenting.

“I would have instantly stopped,” he said when asked what he would have done if he believed she was not consenting.

“It’s not in my character to grab somebody.”

In her evidence, the complainant said that after she pushed Garside away, she shouted ‘What the f*** was that’ at him.

“She didn’t say that, no,” Garside said when this was put to him.

The defendant said he and the complainant were “still having a conversation” as they walked to the Prince of Wales after the alleged incident, but added: “It wasn’t flirty at that point”.

Garside was asked about the message he received from the complainant in the days after December 3. He said he was “a bit taken aback by it” having assumed they would both “forget about it and move on”.

“Did you think you had done anything wrong?,” asked defence counsel Nicola Powell, to which he replied he didn’t.

The jury heard that in his interview with police, Garside was asked “Did you fancy her?” – referring to the complainant. “She’s attractive,” he replied.

The trial continues.