A former police constable accused of sex sessions while on duty with a vulnerable young woman has denied the allegations.

Shamraze Arshad, who lives in Bolton and was a police constable with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) until being sacked last year, told a jury on Wednesday that he had never had sex with the 21-year-old.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the officer was dismissed by the force after he was convicted of attempting to pervert the course of justice by going to the woman’s home intending to dissuade her from speaking to the police.

The jury has heard that that happened after he had been arrested on July 19, 2021 after “an abnormal amount of contact” with her was found on his police mobile phone.

He was released on bail on condition he did not contact her in any way but he went straight round to her student accommodation in Fallowfield.

She was out but he returned the next morning and banged on her window and in fear she hid and called the police.

Arshad, 38, of Ascott Close, Lostock, who joined GMP in October 2018, is on trial pleading not guilty to misconduct in public office involving the alleged sexual relationship with her.

Quizzed by his KC, Peter Wright about whether he had conducted “an intimate sexual relationship” with the woman, Arshad replied, “No, I did not.”

The court has heard that he initially met her when he and another officer were called to her home in the early hours of October 28, 2020 because she was highly distressed and suicidal.

Jamie Baxter, prosecuting, has told the jurors that Arshad submitted a care plan for the woman after she was taken to hospital and having finished his shift “that should have been the end of the matter”.

But later that morning while off duty he used his police mobile to access the secure police system and having found her personal details he began calling her at 8.02am on October 28, 2020 - just hours after she had been taken to hospital.

Mr Baxter said: “In the days that followed he began asking her to go on a date and over the weeks and months thereafter his contact with her continued and what resulted is that the defendant, a serving police officer, began an intimate and ultimately sexual relationship with this vulnerable young woman whom he met in crisis.

“His concern was not her wellbeing, but rather his own sexual desires.”

Mr Baxter said that the evidence “was consistent with an arrogant man – from the moment he met her in October 2020 to July 2021 he was interested in only one person, himself".

However Arshad, who has a degree in criminology and psychology, denied the prosecution claims that he had repeatedly called at her home for sex and told jurors that he had only been there once or twice and there was no sexual relationship.

He maintained that the calls and texts he sent her were entirely to check on her welfare as he had been worried about her.

“I had a duty of care to make sure she was OK,” he said.

Mr Baxter pointed out that the defendant had given her his mobile number and told her to ring if she needed his support but it was Arshad who was getting in touch with her.

Asked why he had not documented much of their contact he said that “with hindsight” that was a mistake but it was the time of the first Covid lockdown and they had “back to back cases” to deal with.

He said there had never been any impropriety and he had been nothing more than professional.

Arshad said he had gone round to her home after his arrest as he was confused about what was happening.

He added: “It was a knee jerk reaction.”

The woman has told the court that they were “friends with benefits” and Arshad would come round to her home for 20 minute sex sessions.

The case continues.