Sheffield ex-cop dodges jail after exploiting vulnerable crime victim he was assigned to help

Robert Veza, 45, a former trainee South Yorkshire Police officer, walked free from Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday after being handed a 16-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months for misconduct in a public office. He had made late-night visits to the home of his vulnerable, mentally ill victim — a woman he had been assigned to assist with a crime report — kissing her, exposing himself, and drawing her into a sexual relationship that lasted until summer 2024. He entered his guilty plea only on the eve of trial, having previously denied the offence.

Veza had been specifically assigned to support the woman after she reported a crime, turning a duty of care into predatory abuse.

It was the victim herself who brought him to account, writing directly to a senior officer — without that act of courage, the relationship might never have been uncovered.

Despite resigning from South Yorkshire Police in January 2026, Veza remains subject to an ongoing internal misconduct investigation following his conviction.