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A former West Yorkshire police officer who admitted sexual assault and misconduct in a public office has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Patrick Banks, 42, who previously worked as a Detective Constable in Leeds, appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday 2 March where he pleaded guilty to two counts of misconduct in a public office and one count of sexual assault.
He denied the theft of a mobile phone and the judge ordered this charge to lie on file.
The offences happened both on and off duty and involved Banks trying to inappropriately befriend two women during 2024 and 2025.
One of the women reported her concerns about Banks in April 2025, with the officer arrested the same day. He was released on bail and suspended from duty.
The court heard how he had sent inappropriate messages to the woman, visited her home multiple times whilst off duty and sexually assaulted her by touching her inappropriately. He also asked her to translate a message which said: "I want to take your underwear off with my teeth".
Following Banks’ arrest, a second woman reported that she also had concerns about his behaviour.
He had regularly messaged her and also visited her four times at her home address, with only one of these occasions being on duty and recorded on the police system.
Banks appeared at Sheffield Crown Court today (1 April) where he was sentenced to three years in prison. He was also given a seven year restraining order and made the sign the sex offenders register for life.
He has already resigned from the force and was subject to an accelerated gross misconduct hearing in October 2025 where a panel decided he would have been dismissed were he still serving.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tanya Wilkins, head of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate, said:
“The actions of this former officer are abhorrent and clearly fall far short of the standards we expect all officers and staff to uphold.
“Banks was immediately suspended from duty when the offending was reported to the police and he has already been added to the College of Policing barred list, preventing him from gaining any further employment in policing on his release from prison.
“I would urge anyone who has been a victim of sexual offences, regardless of the occupation of the perpetrator, to please report it to us. I hope this prosecution and sentencing shows that you will be listened to, and swift action will be taken.”