A SUSSEX policeman who lost his job after being convicted of "groping" a probationary woman police constable has vowed to take his fight to the European Court.

Thomas Reeder, 34, yesterday lost his appeal against his conviction for indecent assault.

But he told the Argus he would be continue to protest his innocence.

Reeder was convicted of touching his victim, who was wearing figure-hugging trousers and saying: "It's true, you haven't got any knickers on."

Reeder claimed he did not get a fair trial at Lewes Crown Court last year.

But Lord Justice Laws, sitting at the Appeal Court with Mr Justice Garland and Judge Norman Crane, said: "These cases are always anxious, and our duty is to look at all the material before us and to ask ourselves is the conviction arguably unsafe?"

He added: "We are driven to the conclusion that it is not."

Reeder, formerly based at Horsham Police headquarters in Hurst Road, was conditionally discharged for a year on August 12. He was also ordered to pay £1,500 prosecution costs.

Reeder denied the indecent assault and elected, on legal advice, not to attend an identification parade. But the victim picked him out from compilation video recording of him entering an interview room.

Lord Justice Laws rejected Reeder's complaints that the recording had been prejudicial to the defence case, and that the trial judge had misdirected the jury during his summing-up on the evidence given by the complainant.

The appeal judge added: "It seems to us that there was plainly here evidence upon which a reasonable jury could convict this applicant."

Reeder said last night: "I am considering my options. One of them would be to take it to a higher court, a European court."

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