Cop accused of strumming officer’s penis ‘like a guitar’

A veteran policewoman has been accused of strumming a male colleague’s “nether regions” while on duty at the station.

Victoria Police Sergeant Rebecca MacLeod, 44, has been charged with intentional sexual touching without consent and unlawful assault.

A veteran policewoman is set to fight allegations she strummed a male officer’s penis “like a guitar”, arguing he is lying and has a history of complaints against him in the workplace.

Rebecca Anne MacLeod, a Victoria Police sergeant with more than 22 years experience in the force, was charged with intentional sexual touching without consent and unlawful assault following an internal police investigation.

Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard she touched her male colleague’s “nether regions” in a “tapping type motion” while on duty on September 30, 2021.

But it is in dispute whether the complainant was either lying or mistaken when Sergeant MacLeod, 44, from Croydon, who is part of Victoria Police’s transit and public safety command, brushed past him while at the station.

Her barrister Geoffrey Steward told the court the credibility of the complainant was in issue.

“Ms MacLeod, who is a gay woman, is effectively accused of putting her hand on the penis of the complainant,” he said, adding it was in “a strumming-like motion” like a guitar.

Mr Steward said his client’s accuser had multiple complaints against him of “inappropriate conduct towards women”.

In one alleged incident in December 2019, he said the complainant gave “excessive presents” to a female officer who was going on maternity leave.

“There’s also been an issue about offering a foot massage to a (female) colleague … when she was pregnant,” Mr Steward said.

Sergeant MacLeod is fighting the allegations.

He said Sgt MacLeod had also raised inappropriate conduct when the complainant had booked spa sessions for her.

Mr Steward is expected to grill the alleged victim during a five-day contested hearing in July.

“There will be a comprehensive challenge to the complainant,” Mr Steward said.

“It’s not like this is a one-off. The complaints about him are varied

“There was an active investigation into the complainant in so far as his dealings with an osteopath. We don’t know the outcome of that.

“He’s also been spoken to about expectations of him.”

The court heard Victoria Police had also spoken to the complainant about suspected grooming of a boy.

According to Sgt MacLeod’s LinkedIn profile, she is a decorated police officer, having been given a divisional commendation for her involvement in the investigation into a deadly balcony collapse at a Tupperware party in Doncaster East in 2017.

She was also recognised for 15 years of service with a National Police Service Medal and a Victoria Police Service Medal for “diligent and ethical service”.

Sgt MacLeod describes herself on the site as a “people oriented leader, who puts the person first and ensures collaborative relationships are built with both internal and external stakeholders, ensuring a psychologically safe workplace”.

She said she is “experienced in people management and building rapport to maintain relationships with peers and managers alike”.

“I enjoy being a strong influence on my colleagues and of most importance to me, is that they enjoy coming to work and get the job done, professionally and with a smile on their face,” she detailed on LinkedIn.

Mr Steward this month applied to the court for police to hand over further documentation he suspects could divulge details of another complaint against Sgt MacLeod’s accuser.

Legal counsel for the Chief Commissioner of Police, Shane Patton, claimed public interest immunity in opposing release of the material.

“There is nothing in this material that could assist the defence on the credibility of the complainant,” the lawyer argued.

But magistrate Rose Falla ruled it was in the interest of the administration of justice to grant the defence access to the material.

The matter is being prosecuted by the Office of Public Prosecutions, instead of Victoria Police, because of the conflict of interest.