Police officer denies sexual assault at Harrogate cemetery

Police constable Christopher Hudson, 31, has been accused of assaulting a woman at Stonefall Cemetery in Wetherby Road, Harrogate, on February 8 last year.

He pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual assault at Leeds Crown Court earlier today.

Mr Hudson, of Hollin Terrace in Huddersfield, was based in Harrogate and suspended by North Yorkshire Police after the allegation was made.

He has been released on bail, with a condition which states he cannot contact the alleged victim, and his trial is due to begin on February 20 in 2023.

Judge Simon Batiste said: “As you’re probably well aware, there is a considerable backlog before the courts at the moment, so that is when the trial will take place.”

The alleged victim cannot be named for legal reasons.