Woman ‘devastated’ when undercover officer ended relationship, spycops inquiry hears | UK news
A woman was left distraught and had a deep distrust of the police after an undercover cop tricked her into an intimate relationship at a young age, a public inquiry in London has told.
The woman, known only as Ellie and now living in Australia, told an undercover police inquiry on Thursday that she had a year-long relationship with James Thomson but hid his true identity from him.
Thomson maintained close relations with her for 16 years after the sexual relationship ended in 2002, emailing her regularly and kissing her when they met. He sent her five emails asking her to send him photos of herself in underwear, but she refused. He finally told her the truth in 2018.
He had sex with her once in 2015. This comes a year after a spy police investigation was commissioned by the UK government to examine allegations of misconduct by undercover officers who infiltrated political movements.
One of the key issues facing the investigation is that undercover police officers regularly engaged in sexual encounters with women for decades, without disclosing that they had adopted false identities and were sent to spy on political activists.
Thomson, who infiltrated animal rights activists between 1997 and 2002, is expected to be questioned next month by the investigation, which said his appointment had “many disturbing aspects”.
Earlier this month, the inquiry’s lead lawyer, David Barr, said Thomson had “by his own admission lied a lot to date. Not only to those he met while in office, but also to his managers and to the investigation.”
Among the allegations he will face are that he fabricated claims that an animal rights activist was looking for a gun to take revenge on a political opponent, developed a second false identity without the permission of Metropolitan police chiefs, and broke the law when obtaining more than one identity document.
Thomson was forced to admit at the inquest that he had cheated on two women while undercover, but had initially rejected them.
Ellie told how Thomson her first true love and serious boyfriend. She was a “particularly young and naive 21-year-old” when she began the relationship in 2001. The man told her that she was 33 when she was actually 36.
She was “devastated and truly heartbroken” when she told him she had to move to America in 2002 to be near her children and ex-partner. This was actually a ruse as he was about to end his undercover mission.
Later, Ellie and Thomson were “intimate, loving and romantic in nature… there was always sexual attraction and intimacy in our interactions… it was as if we were going on a date every time we met”.
“In retrospect, all those interactions that went on meant that it was very difficult to get over it and move on. It was the one that ‘got away’ and no one compared,” he said.
He stated that he was still unable to fully process his deception, adding that he was “faced with a deep distrust of those I had previously believed were there to protect society as a whole.”
“I despise being some sort of victim. I hate to be naive and gullible, but seeing how the Metropolitan police are these days, I’m no longer surprised that they don’t even think we’re worthy of basic respect. I hate the amount of tears I’ve shed about it, because it makes me feel pathetic.”
In 2005, Ellie moved to Australia with her friend, an animal rights activist known as Wendy, and testified on Thursday that Thomson cheated on her. He had been friends with her for 21 years without revealing his true identity. “ Depth of infiltration in all directions “My life is incredible,” he said.
Last week, the second woman who was cheated on by Thomson in an intimate relationship that lasted a year testified. Woman, known as SaraShe described how she fell in love with him after meeting him in 1998 and said she believed he was the one. his soulmate And I would marry him if he wanted.
