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Officer in second undercover case wed activist he was sent to spy on
Peter Dominiczak, City Hall Correspondent20 Jan 2011
Politicians today called for a full public inquiry into undercover policing after an activist told how she felt treated "like a prostitute" by an officer who had a sexual relationship with her.
Jim Boyling, who is still a serving Met officer, spent five years infiltrating environmental group Reclaim the Streets and is said to have had an affair with a 28-year-old woman.
After becoming a key organiser in the group, known for bringing streets to a standstill during protests, he suddenly disappeared in 2000.
He emerged a year later and after admitting to the woman he was a police officer they married and had two children, before divorcing two years ago.
The woman today alleged that he encouraged her to officially change her name to hide their relationship from his bosses and that he told her a rule against undercover police having sex with targets was unrealistic.
Her claims follow revelations about Pc Mark Kennedy, whose exposure led to the collapse of an eco-activist trial.
Two other undercover officers, Lynn Watson and Mark Jacobs, were also named today.
It is alleged that Jacobs had an affair with at least one woman.
Boyling, who told activists his name was Jim Sutton, was today accused by his ex-wife of telling her that sexual relations with targets was "a necessary tool in maintaining cover".
The woman, using the false name of Laura, told the Guardian: "I know of multiple cases. We're talking about a repeated pattern of long-term relationships and, for me at least, the deepest love I thought I'd ever known."
She added that Boyling's lies to her before their marriage made her feel "like a prostitute; just an unknowing and unpaid one."
Boyling met Laura in 1999 in a Euston pub and a year later the pair had moved into a flat in East Dulwich.
Although Laura had doubts about her partner, she said they "had a blissfully in-love relationship" until September that year when he left to travel to South Africa and then vanished.
Laura spent a year, and all of her savings, trying to find him but was unable to locate his family. She eventually bumped into him in a bookshop in Kingston and he immediately confessed to being a police officer.
They started their relationship again and although Laura became pregnant, Boyling refused to leave the police.
Green party MP Caroline Lucas today said: "Given the discovery that even more undercover officers like Mark Kennedy are involved in covert operations against green campaigners… we need a full, independent, public inquiry."
Jenny Jones, a Green member of the MPA, said: "This case warrants full transparency."
Reader views (2)
"like a prostitute; just an unknowing and unpaid one."
Can we say, "Oxymoron"? (Not to mention moronic)
The woman chose to have sex with HIM too, for goodness sakes. It wasn't a one-sided tryst. If you're going to use hot-button words to dig at someone, at least put enough enthusiasm into it to find a suitable term to use and not just pluck one out of thin air.
- Rogan, Irving, 20/01/2011 20:01
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She's only sayinag this now because they got divorced. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
- Sue R, London, 20/01/2011 15:42
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