Gambling addict PC coerced girlfriends to fund bets

Lewis Rollins, a former Metropolitan Police officer, was sentenced after abusing and deceiving multiple girlfriends met through dating apps to obtain money for his gambling habit. A jury found him guilty of coercive or controlling behaviour and fraud charges, and a previous trial convicted him of assaulting another woman. The court heard he dated two women at the same time and took money from both, then persuaded a third woman to take out a loan to cover his debts. Victims described controlling conduct, bursts of anger, name-calling, jealousy, and monitoring. He was given an 18-month community order and ordered to repay £3,132.50, with the judge noting he had already effectively served a prison-equivalent period while awaiting trial.

"A jury at Southwark Crown Court found the 29-year-old guilty of two counts of coercive or controlling behaviour and three charges of fraud, while a previous trial convicted him of assaulting a fourth woman. During a hearing at the same court earlier, Rollins was handed an 18-month community order and ordered to pay back 3,132.50 to one of his victims. Rollins, who worked in the Met's Central West Command Unit, was told by Judge Christopher Hehir that he had already served the equivalent of a two-and-a-half year prison sentence while awaiting trial."

"The court previously heard that Rollins, who worked in the Met's Central West Command Unit, was dating two women simultaneously and taking money from both of them. He then struck up a relationship with a third woman, who was convinced to take out a 4,000 loan to help with his spiralling debts. Georgia Miller, who met Rollins on dating app Bumble in April 2022, described his bursts of anger, name-calling, acts of violence and controlling jealousy, including monitoring her phone."

"If Rollins had been on bail throughout the proceedings, Judge Hehir said he would have been given a sentence of two years and nine months. He instead told the Rollins he was going to give him a community order because it's an order with teeth. At the end of the sentencing, Judge Hehir told Rollins: You are to some extent a fortunate beneficiary of the chronology of circumstance."

"Rollins was a PC when he used three women he met on dating apps to fund his addiction, telling them a series of lies to hide his financial problems. A jury found him guilty of coercive or controlling behaviour and fraud charges. The court heard he took money from multiple partners while maintaining deception about his finances and using the relationships to support gambling."

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