Councillor who patted female cop’s bum ‘like Benny Hill’ cleared of sex attack | UK | News
A councilor who fondled a policewoman’s bottom, claiming he was re-enacting the behavior of 70s bawdy comedian Benny Hill, has been cleared of sexual assault. Neville Jones, while policing a social event in full uniform, targeted the female officer’s backside and told her: “I’ve always wanted to do that to a cop!”
Jones insisted it was “a bit of fun” to hit rock bottom, but he complained to officer colleagues that she had slapped him and they arrested Jones, who served as an independent on Durham County Council and Greater Aycliffe Council from 2021 to 2025.
Jones, who is involved with various charities and organisations, denied sexually assaulting the officer and also claimed he had sexually assaulted another woman at a disco, describing the accusations as “ridiculous”. And jurors at Newcastle Crown Court agreed, finding the councillor, who worked as a bus driver, not guilty of both charges.
The court heard Jones, who was married, was actively involved in events in the local community and when interviewed he admitted patting her on the bottom and using phrases such as “I’ve always wanted to do that to a cop.”
The officer said he was left in shock and felt “humiliated” by the incident.
But Jones, 60, of Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, described it as a bit of fun and described his comments as “Benny Hill” in nature.
“I must have said, ‘Oh, I’ve always wanted to do this,’ something like that,” he told jurors.
When asked why he did it, he denied there was a sexual purpose, saying “I’m a clown, that was stupid” and said the alleged slap was “a bit of fun” and insisted it was an “explosion” rather than a “slap”.
The second victim said that while they were at the disco, Jones pretended to fall, put his hands on her breasts and squeezed them, then treated it as a joke. She came forward after seeing a newspaper article about the other woman’s accusation.
Jones denied that any such incident occurred between him and the second victim and described the allegations against him as “ridiculous”.
