Verdicts for Sussex Police officer charged with sexual assaults

Matthew Crane, 48, a Sergeant based at Eastbourne custody, had pleaded not guilty

Author: Jon BurkePublished 9th Sep 2025

A jury has returned a not guilty and a hung verdict against a Sussex Police officer accused of committing sexual assault.

Matthew Crane, 48, a Sergeant based at Eastbourne custody, had pleaded not guilty to two charges of sexual assault by touching.

The court heard that the alleged offences had occurred between 16-19 September 2023 while the officer was on duty.

The matter was referred to the Independent Office of Police Conduct who directed that a local investigation by the Professional Standards Department should be conducted.

At Croydon Crown Court on Tuesday (9 September), a jury found Crane not guilty of one count, and returned a hung jury verdict for the other charge.

A decision will now be made whether to pursue a retrial for the hung jury verdict by Wednesday, 24 September.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.