Ex-police officer facing rape and assault charges

A former policeman has been charged with rape and sexual assault, alleged to have taken place while he was off-duty.

Cumbria Police said Matthew Stewart had been a special constable, community support officer and police constable since 2015 before leaving the profession in 2024.

He was then subject to gross misconduct proceedings and barred from working in policing last year.

The 31-year-old, of Carlisle, is due to appear at North Cumbria Magistrates' Court on 24 August, having also been charged with two counts of intentional strangulation.

The force said the charges related to two victims and stemmed from allegations made following the gross misconduct proceedings.

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