AN alcoholic sent messages to a stranger on the internet claiming to be a police officer investigating a horrific assault of which she had been the victim.

Andrew Gardner sent Facebook messages to the woman insisting he worked in the domestic violence unit, was looking into her case and that the perpetrator was going to court again.

The victim suffers with short term memory loss as a result of the attack and said she did not remember him.

But Gardner, of Oakleigh Road, Clacton, insisted he was a constable and send through a fake identification number.

The woman relented and handed over her address and phone number, before Gardner bombarded her with four phone calls in the early hours of the morning.

The next day he sent a series of text messages which included him saying she was beautiful and needed to find someone who loved her.

In one he said: “Going off shift now, got to attend court in the morning.”

The victim later messaged him asking how his shift had gone to which he replied: “Bizzy (sic) – he is on remand at Chelmsford Crown Court for a plea hearing.”

Members of the woman’s family had become concerned about the unprofessional tone of the messages and checked with the police. It emerged Gardner, 42, was not a real officer.

He admitted harassment and impersonating a police officer at Colchester Magistrates’ Court.

The woman said she had her faith in the police rocked, she now trusts no-one and that it brought back painful memories of the attack.

Gemma Lee, mitigating, said: “He has been battling a drink problem for many years and was drinking a lot at the time.

“His intention was to impress her, not to scare her.

“The victim made a public post about the incident when she was assaulted which he commented on.

“It stuck in his memory and he felt sorry for what she had been through. As soon as she asked how his shift was he deleted her number because he knew he had gone too far.”

Gardner has sought help for his alcoholism since the offences in October and magistrates suspended a 12 week prison sentence for a year. He must attend an alcohol treatment programme, 20 rehabilitation days and is banned from contacting the victim or her parents for a year.

Gardner must also pay £227 in court charges.