A serving Metropolitan Police officer from Hertfordshire has denied raping and stalking a woman by installing cameras at her work.

PC Jake Cummings, 23, from Hemel Hempstead, also denied emotionally blackmailing the alleged victim by threatening suicide.

He appeared in person at St Albans Crown Court for the plea hearing on Monday (April 15).

He is accused of raping the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on February 1.

He has also been charged with multiple incidents of controlling and coercive behaviour towards the same woman between January 1, 2022 and February 1, 2024.

This allegedly included isolating the victim from her family and friends, installing software on her phone to monitor her whereabouts, and installing cameras at her place of work to monitor her whereabouts.

It is also alleged that Cummings emotionally blackmailed the victim by threatening suicide, and made unnecessary GP and hospital appointments for her which she could not attend without him.

The defendant faces a third charge of multiple incidents of stalking between January 1, 2022 and February 1, 2024, including attending the alleged victim’s place of work, waiting outside the addresses of her friends, and threatening her mother that she was controlling her.

Cummings spoke only to confirm his identity and to plead not guilty to all the charges.

The offences are alleged to have occurred when Cummings was off duty.

He has been suspended from his job in the Met’s Central West Command.

Judge Francis Sheridan remanded the defendant into custody and adjourned the case to a further hearing at the same court on May 17.