Pcs picked up woman on 999 call

Witcher and Lang were cleared of rape after a retrial

For former Surrey police constables Mark Witcher and Andrew Lang, the route to their 15-month jail sentences for misconduct began with a 999 call.

They responded when a woman was hit on the head by a man outside the Harlequins nightclub in Godalming, Surrey, in September 2003.

The officers drove the woman to her home where the three had sex.

The officers were cleared of rape and indecent assault charges, but jailed for wilful misconduct in public office.

'Seduction' claim

While Witcher and Lang were in the woman's house, her three children and a male babysitter slept upstairs.

The married officers later bragged to colleagues at Guildford police station about the incident.

But after senior Surrey Police officers heard about the claims, the officers' notebooks were seized and they were charged with rape and indecent assault.

The case at Winchester Crown Court heard, Witcher, 30, of Station Road, Drayton, and Lang, 31, of Overdale Walk, Whitehill, both in Hampshire, claim the woman was extremely drunk, having consumed 12 vodka and Red Bulls.

They said she initiated a threesome after becoming "seductive and provocative" when they got her home.

Lang told the court sex with the woman was spontaneous, consensual and an "out of body experience".

The case, which ended on Monday, was a retrial after a jury failed to reach verdicts last November on the rape and indecent assault charges against the two men.

But they were found guilty in the original trial of three charges each of wilful misconduct in public office by having sex while on duty and in uniform, lying on a police radio and failing to report a crime.

Both were dismissed from the Surrey force on 16 December last year.