Metropolitan police officer acquitted of sexually assaulting woman in Wembley hotel

Rudvelle Walters, 48, was found not guilty of the only charge he faced following a week-long trial at Southwark Crown Court.

The officer, who is attached to the North West Command unit, was discharged by Judge Andrew Goymer, after a jury reached a verdict in 54 minutes.

The prosecution offered no evidence on a second outstanding charge of attempted sexual assault.

PC Walters, who has served the Met for 18 years, always denied allegations that he put his hand inside the female complainant’s underwear and slapped her bottom, and said it was the woman who was over-friendly with him as he tried to do his job.

The allegations were made by a woman in her twenties, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The court heard Mr Walters had been called to her room at the Best Western in Wembley High Road, in the early hours of February 5, 2019 after she was reported missing by her husband following an argument.

Giving evidence in his trial, Mr Walters said he had not touched the woman during the 20-minute welfare check, at which he said she was “being difficult” and not answering his questions.

He said: “I did not touch her in any way, she touched me.

Defence counsel Robert Morris said: “It is alleged you put your hand into her underwear.”

Mr Walters replied: “Not at all.”

Mr Walters said the woman grabbed his phone and called her telephone number from it, and then used his phone to send a Facebook friend request.

He said any subsequent message to her from his account was sent in error, due to his “fat fingers” pressing the “send” button instead of deleting the prompt.

Prosecutor Abigail Husbands accused Walters of changing details in his various accounts of that night.

But Mr Walters said his innocence would have been proven had he remembered to switch his body-worn camera on.

Scotland Yard said Mr Walters’ suspension would be reviewed in light of the acquittal.

Additional reporting by Ryan Hooper, PA