A 41-year-old man has been ordered to pay £100 in compensation after slapping a policewoman's bottom, an act the officer described as making her feel "violated." The judge presiding over the case at Stockport Magistrates' Court expressed shared frustration regarding police intervention in what he deemed a civil matter.
Thomas Simpson admitted to the assault, which occurred in the early hours of November 28, 2025, in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The incident followed Simpson's drunken attempt to cook a meal, which resulted in a scorch mark on his kitchen worktop. His landlord, with whom he lived, requested he move out and subsequently called the police. Simpson offered his deposit as compensation for the damage, but his landlord refused.
According to court reports, officers arrived and escorted Simpson from the property, an action the judge later stated they had no power to enforce. Outside, Simpson slapped the female officer's bottom and aggressively told her, "Come on then, let's have it." He was arrested and later claimed the act was a "sarcastic pat" and not sexually motivated or misogynistic.
District Judge James Hulse commented that the officers had created a "calamitous mess" by becoming involved in a civil dispute. "It is frustrating yet again that police are turning up to what is a civil dispute," the judge stated. "Then instead of saying 'This is a civil dispute' and walking away, officers go to the address and tell this man to leave with no powers to do so whatsoever."
Simpson was ordered to complete 60 hours of unpaid work in addition to the compensation. His solicitor indicated that Simpson wanted to apologize to the policewoman and blamed his actions on frustration over being evicted without a proper legal process. Simpson acknowledged his behavior was inappropriate and out of character, stating he did not intend it sexually or to belittle the officer.
The policewoman, whose name has not been released, said in a statement that she comes to work to help people and not to be assaulted. She described the experience as making her feel like an object and an easy target, particularly as she was the only female officer present. Simpson had initially been charged with sexual assault, but prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to assault on an emergency worker. He had stated that while he was angry and upset, a slap on the buttocks does not inherently mean it was sexual, drawing parallels to congratulatory gestures in sports. He was fined £100 and ordered to complete 60 hours of unpaid work.
