A "predatory" police officer completed a sexual misconduct training course days before sleeping with a vulnerable domestic violence victim.

Former PC Darren Coathup, 40, was sending sexual messages to two vulnerable women from his work phone who he met after they called the police for help.

Prosecuting, Harriet Lavin told Manchester Crown Court how on the day the married police officer, who was on rapid response in Blackburn, had completed a training course about sexual misconduct before going on to send images of himself to his second victim, who he had unprotected sex with twice.

He met the first victim while responding to a report of domestic violence in May or June of 2020.

When officers, including Coathup, arrived she said that her ex-partner had assaulted her.

Coathup told the woman that she should "get herself on dating websites", and that she would have "no issue getting someone new".

Ms Lavin said: “She felt like the defendant was flirting and felt flattered by his comments.

“She describes having just been assaulted, feeling awful and here was the defendant who was being nice, friendly and flirtatious.

“As he was leaving, she told him that he was alright himself. The defendant got into his car, lifting his hand up and stating he was married but that he would text her later.”

He did not message her for several months but when they spoke again, he contacted her through his work phone and the messages became sexual in nature.

In one message, Coathup said “Don’t knock a copper until you’ve tried one”.

Other messages would talk about a "man in uniform".

The woman contacted Coathup for a police matter and he came to her home.

He sat on her sofa and said "I wish you could feel how hard I am. I wish I could handcuff you, the things I would do to you".

The woman said that she believes if she had initiated it, the pair would have then had sex.

They swapped personal numbers and videos and photographs were exchanged between the pair.

A few months later, the text exchanges stopped and the woman moved on to another relationship.

Coathup was then called to a job with a woman whose ex-partner had breached his bail conditions in April 2021.

He was on a two man crew and told his colleague to leave and that he would take the woman’s statement.

He said to the woman about installing a security camera which he brought around days later, however this was a personal system and not one supplied by the police.

Ms Lavin said: “She said in her statement that she was in a bad place at the time and the attention made her feel good.

“She said she had been in a very abusive and controlling relationship and was flattered by a police officer showing her interest.

“From that date onwards, the pair were messaging frequently from both his work and personal mobile.

“The messages were largely sexual and clearly demonstrated the defendant taking advantage of his role as a police officer.”

The relationship continued, with the pair messaging most days including on a day when Coathup completed a sexual misconduct training course.

Shortly after the course, he went to the woman’s house, and they had unprotected sex twice.

After this, the woman said that she felt Coathup was "ignoring her" and that he had "got what he wanted".

He eventually texted the woman back saying that she was "special to him’" that she was not "one of many" and that he had "never done anything like this before".

He then text her again to say that he had tested positive for Chlamydia before posting £70 through her letter box for her to get tested.

The last contact between the pair was in August 2021 when he wished the woman "good luck in court" – her having been a victim and witness throughout their entire relationship.

The first victim said she thought Coathup was "a hero, as someone who would look after her" but now thinks of him as a "predator, preying on the vulnerable".

Mitigating, Laura Nash said that Coathup was struggling with his mental health at the time of the incidents following the birth of his son in 2018.

Ms Nash said that Coathup had been an officer for 18 years and that he has now resigned from Lancashire Police and is currently working in a factory.

She said that both of the relationships, although a breach of his position, were consensual.

Ms Nash said: “It’s so out of character, both as a family man and experienced police officer.”

Coathup said that "looking back he could not believe what he had done".

A statement from Coathup said: “I can see how it was a complete abuse of my position.”

Judge Alan Conrad KC will be sentencing Coathup tomorrow (February 17).

Lancashire Constabulary said that Coathup was immediately suspended following his arrest and an accelerated misconduct hearing was held following his guilty plea, leading to his dismissal.

Coathup, of Coppull, Chorley, has been added to the barred list and the police identified the offending during an investigation before the victims came forward to the police.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of being a holder of a public office who wilfully neglected to perform his duty/wilfully misconducted himself.