A former detective constable who admitted inappropriate contact with women he met in the course of his duties has been given a suspended sentence after a judge heard that no one else could care for his one-year-old child during the coronavirus lockdown. Stuart Lunt, 36, from Appley Bridge, Wigan, exploited the women’s trust and attempted to form sexual relationships with them, and did so with one woman, Liverpool crown court was told. Laura Nash, defending, asked the judge David Aubrey QC to consider Lunt’s “exceptional circumstances” and suspend a custodial sentence. She said Lunt’s wife was a deputy manager at a pre-school nursery, and designated as a key worker. The couple were still living together with their two children and Lunt had been staying at home with the younger child, she said. Relatives of the Lunts were unable to offer assistance during the lockdown because they were classed as vulnerable, the court was told. Nash also pointed out that the Prison Service would face “incredible difficulty” in managing a former police officer in a custodial setting during the pandemic. Sentencing Lunt to 18 months in jail suspended for two years, Aubrey said: “In the particular circumstances of this case, and at a time of deep concern, in the judgment of the court the balance weighs just in favour of suspending the custodial sentence.” Lunt was ordered to perform 250 hours of unpaid work. He pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to misconduct in a public office. The defendant joined Lancashire police in June 2015 after 12 years of service with Greater Manchester police, and was based at Chorley. He resigned from the force last week. David Toal, prosecuting, said Lunt had approached the women – whom he met as complainants or witnesses – separately on various dates between 2017 and 2019. Nash said Lunt had a history of mental health difficulties and had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression in 2017. He was remorseful for his actions, and numerous character references spoke of his good work in the community, she said. Aubrey told Lunt: “You gained the trust of vulnerable women and utilised that trust for your own sexual advantages and desires. You crossed the boundaries of your duties as a police officer and did so knowingly. All of the women were vulnerable to exploitation and that is precisely what you did. I am satisfied your conduct was akin to grooming.”