Former Lancashire Police officer cleared of raping woman he met in supermarket car park
A former Lancashire Police officer has been acquitted of repeatedly raping a woman following a trial in Preston.
Michael Harvey, 64, of Eskdale, Skelmersdale, was found not guilty following a trial at the city’s Crown Court.
The ex-officer had already pleaded guilty to "using police systems" to look up the complainant after first meeting her in a supermarket car park in Rawtenstall in the early 2010s. The rape offences were alleged to have occurred in Rawtenstall in 2016.
He pleaded guilty to engaging in controlling/coercive behaviour and two counts of ‘causing a computer to perform a function to secure/enable unauthorised access to a programme/data’.
Harvey was granted conditional bail ahead of sentencing at Preston Crown Court on February 5, 2026.
'Psychological abuse'
Prosecutor Ms Kehoe had told the court Mr Harvey's "psychological abuse" meant that the woman's "ability to consent to sexual activity no longer existed".
"She was a pawn, a vessel for his abuse," she said.
"The defendant pulled on her heart strings, there were issues with his health and his mental health. He told her he was sick from work and receiving counselling for PTSD. He also said he was struggling for money.
"The prosecution say that it is clear now that all of that was designed to gain sympathy and ensure his place in her life was secure.
"This emotional abuse continued over many years. The defendant's behaviour was unpredictable, he used emotional blackmail."