Detective jailed for intercourse with sex crime victim
On the day a woman's alleged abuser pleaded guilty in court, the detective investigating the case went to share the news with her.
The police investigator told the vulnerable victim that the man had pleaded, pushed her onto her bed and had sex with her.
"Can you imagine what (the woman's ex-partner) would do?" John Melhuish told the woman. "And I feel like telling him."
The former sex crimes detective, 48, was jailed for five months on Monday after pleading guilty in the County Court to a charge of misconduct in public office.
He was a Victoria Police member for 20 years before he was suspended.
Melhuish met the woman while investigating her former partner, who had subjected her to years of abuse, the court was told.
Prosecutor Alex Albert said police were called to a family violence incident in April 2012, after a man had bound a woman's hands with a coat hanger and string and then raped and physically assaulted her.
Melhuish went to the home of the man's former partner, as officers were told he had gone there immediately after the rape.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, opened up to Melhuish about how she was fearful of the man due to previous sexual, emotional and physical violence.
Melhuish began visiting her late at night, asking if there was anything he could do and checking on her welfare.
The accused man fled to Queensland after the April 2012 rape and Melhuish arranged for his arrest and extradition back to Victoria.
After the arrest, Melhuish called the woman late at night with news of the arrest and went to check on her.
He told her she "looked sexy in the singlet and shorts she was wearing and it turned him on" before having sex with her, Mr Albert said.
Melhuish said she couldn't tell anyone about what happened between them as her case against her ex-partner could be thrown out.
He continued to visit the woman and in October 2013 told her no one could ever see their text messages.
"I'm thinking I still wanted to be your friend in 10 years' time and each of us protect the other," he wrote, in a message read to court.
When her former partner pleaded guilty in court to offences against the other woman, Melhuish went to her house to deliver the news.
Melhuish guided her to the bedroom, pushed her on the bed, pulled her pants off and the pair had intercourse.
He was suspended from Victoria Police in March 2020 after the woman disclosed what had happened between them.
His lawyer Jason Gullaci SC said Melhuish had lost his career, marriage and contact with his children due to the offending.
"He's going to jail and he understands that he'll be remanded today," he said.
Judge Richard Maidment said Melhuish exploited his position of power as a police officer by engaging in relations with the woman.
"Your conduct was directed towards a person who undoubtedly was a vulnerable victim of sexual violence and abuse at the hands of a partner," he said.
"Your close proximity to the investigation and to the victim and to the accused was likely to place in jeopardy the criminal proceedings against that man."
Melhuish was ordered to perform community work over 18 months, after he is released from his five-month jail term.
