Violent and 'deceitful' former police officer jailed

A former police officer who suffocated a woman and subjected her to controlling and coercive behaviour has been jailed for three and a half years.

Former Avon and Somerset PC Mitchell Curtis, 34, was previously found guilty by jurors of two counts of controlling and coercive behaviour, intentional suffocation, and criminal damage.

The offences occurred in South Gloucestershire and were committed while Curtis was off duty, police said.

Sentencing him at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Lawrie said Curtis was "deceitful" and his actions were that of "a bully", while Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall described him as "a manipulative and violent offender".

The judge added that Curtis had made his victim feel that she would not be taken seriously if she were to report him and praised her courage at coming forward.

The jury had been told Curtis had been physically, emotionally and verbally abusive towards the victim over an 18-month period.

The victim reported Curtis to the police in October 2022. He was arrested on the same day and suspended while a criminal investigation was carried out.

At an accelerated misconduct hearing, held in February, Curtis was found to have committed gross misconduct and would have been dismissed if he had not already resigned.

He has been added to a national barred list so he can never work in policing or other law enforcement agencies again.

Following the sentencing, Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall said: "Mitchell Curtis is a manipulative and violent offender and he's now facing the consequences of his criminal behaviour.

"The sentencing hearing gives us a further opportunity to emphasise how courageous the victim has been throughout.

"I hope the outcome of the judicial and misconduct proceedings show how seriously we take offences like this and that we'll be relentless in our pursuit of the perpetrators of abuse."

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