Cop faces court over alleged sexual touching incident at staff Christmas party
A police officer who has served on the force for 25 years was in court today, charged with allegedly grabbing the breast of a female colleague while at a staff Christmas after-party last year.
Central Sydney
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A senior police officer accused of groping a female colleague’s breast during a night out at The Rocks last year has faced court.
Ronald ‘Ronnie’ Tarlington was suspended from his long-term role as a Sergeant at Parramatta police area command after being charged with sexually touching a woman at the Orient Hotel in December.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge in court today.
Just before 10pm on December 5, 2018, Tarlington is alleged to have slid his right hand down an unbuttoned part of the woman’s shirt before “grabbing her breast and squeezing her nipple while making a grunting noise”, according to Crown prosecutor Peter Bakalidis.
Magistrate Paul Mulroney heard Tarlington was at the western Sydney command’s Christmas party at the Australian Heritage Hotel, along with “30 to 50” of his co-workers earlier on the night of the incident.
CCTV footage played in Central Local Court showed Tarlington walk into the Orient about 9.40pm on December 5, joining a handful of colleagues who had moved on to the George St establishment.
The Crown alleges the footage shows him engaging in a playful exchange with the complainant, who could be seen pulling the hood of his dark-coloured jumper over his head several times.
Shortly after he then appears to pull the woman onto his lap, when it is alleged he grabbed her breast, before she stands up and is pulled into another room by a friend.
Mr Bakalidis alleged the footage showed the woman “pulling (Tarlington’s) hand away” and “immediately removing herself from the situation” once she realised what happened.
Defence barrister Danielle New put to Crown witness Inspector David El Badawi that Tarlington had served as a police officer for 25 years “without incident”.
Ms New also put to El-Badawi, the lead investigator on the incident, that he had incorrectly identified some of Tarlington’s colleagues that he had testified were in attendance at the time of the alleged offence.
She said that one of the nine witnesses El-Badawi had taken a statement from was not present at the time of the incident.
“If I have made a mistake I apologise,” he told the court.
Insp El-Badawi told the court CCTV footage from the Australian Heritage Hotel also showed Tarlington and the woman interact with each other at least two times.
He said he contacted Tarlington to request an interview following his investigations on December 27, but Tarlington declined in a response received several weeks later on January 17.
Tarlington was charged by way of a future court attendance notice on March 6.
The hearing continues.
