Patrick Banks

Patrick Banks, a 42-year-old former Detective Constable with West Yorkshire Police in Leeds, was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday following his guilty pleas to two counts of misconduct in a public office and one count of sexual assault.

The offences, which occurred both on and off duty during 2024 and 2025, involved Banks attempting to inappropriately befriend two women. In the case of the first woman, Banks sent her inappropriate messages, visited her home address on multiple occasions while off duty, and sexually assaulted her by touching her inappropriately. He also asked her to translate a message that read: "I want to take your underwear off with my teeth." The woman reported her concerns to the police in April 2025, leading to Banks' arrest on the same day. He was released on bail and immediately suspended from duty.

Following his arrest, a second woman came forward with similar complaints. The court heard that Banks had regularly messaged her and visited her home address four times, with only one visit being on duty and properly recorded in the police system. These actions constituted a clear abuse of his position as a police officer.

Banks was sentenced to three years in prison, received a seven-year restraining order, and was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life. He had already resigned from West Yorkshire Police prior to sentencing and was subject to an accelerated gross misconduct hearing in October 2025, where a panel determined he would have been dismissed had he remained in service. He has also been added to the College of Policing barred list, preventing future employment in policing.

Detective Chief Superintendent Tanya Wilkins, head of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate, described Banks’ actions as abhorrent and stated: "The actions of this former officer are abhorrent and clearly fall far short of the standards we expect all officers and staff to uphold." The case was reported by The Telegraph & Argus, highlighting the swift action taken by West Yorkshire Police upon the initial report.