A police officer has been jailed over the assault and false imprisonment of a terrified 23-year-old woman at a shared townhouse in Twickenham.

Sam Grigg, aged 36, appeared at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, February 10, over the offences which involved restraining his housemate, who believed she was about to be raped, with tape.

The court was told by Grigg's ex-girlfriend that he was 'keen on bondage' and collected police equipment without permission – including handcuffs and batons.

She said that he 'got a kick out of arresting women as it was a form of restraint'.

During a search of his house, officers found police-issue handcuffs and batons, along with the horror film Better Watch Out, which depicts a woman bound in rope with duct tape over her mouth.

Grigg, who was formerly attached to the South West Basic Command Unit, which covers the Twickenham and Richmond areas, had pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and assault at the same court on January 5.

The court heard how on December 2, when Grigg was off-duty, he launched the attack when other housemates were out. The smiling Grigg taped her ankles and mouth and watched as she struggled to get free.

He subsequently cut the tape off with a knife, causing some cuts in the process.

The incident was reported to police on 6 December 6 and Grigg was arrested the same day. He was charged with the offences on December 8 and then dismissed from the force on January 30.

The judge, Peter Lodder KC, described the attack as '10 minutes of terror' for the victim, who had 'no real relationship' with Grigg other than being one of his housemates.

Describing the impact of the attack on the victim, the prosecutor, Alexander Agbamu, said: "She has experienced increased anxiety and a generalised deterioration in her mental health. She has punched herself. She's also considered using a knife on herself as well.

"It's caused her to mistrust the police and made her concerned about the recruitment processes of the police, though she makes clear that the police, once they received her message, dealt with her complaint very swiftly and very positively."

Commander Jon Savell, responsible for the Met's professional standards team, said: "This was a terrifying ordeal for the woman.

"Grigg's behaviour was appalling and I know it will cause concern among members of the public. He's let down the Met and his colleagues who are committed to protecting Londoners.

"We took immediate action to suspend Grigg from duty when his offending came to light and dismissed at the earliest opportunity.

"We are determined to have a Met that the public can trust, with officers that people feel confident to approach. When someone fails to meet these standards, we will take action to remove them from our organisation."