An undercover police officer has admitted to callously deceiving a leftwing activist into a five-year relationship while spying on anti-racist groups, the Spycops inquiry has heard. Mark Jenner, who infiltrated activist circles in Hackney, east London, between 1995 and 2000, lived with the woman known as Alison for four years, never revealing his true identity as a police spy.
Giving evidence on Wednesday, Jenner acknowledged that the relationship was 'extremely cruel', particularly as Alison wanted to have children with him. He admitted stringing her along, wasting her fertile years, and said the deception 'turbo-charged' his covert deployment, allowing him to gather more intelligence. The relationship was an 'open secret' among his superiors and colleagues in the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), who warned him to be 'very careful' but took no action.
Jenner, who was married with children during the deployment, described his treatment of his ex-wife as a 'gross betrayal'. He had a child with her while living with Alison. When asked if he could have avoided the relationship, he replied: 'I wasn’t interested in avoiding a deceitful sexual relationship.' He also admitted he never considered whether Alison would have consented to sex if she had known his true identity.
Alison has waited over two decades for an explanation. She told the inquiry that Jenner was 'well-fed, warm, had regular sex from a woman who loved him and enjoyed a varied and entertaining social life'. Jenner agreed with this description, acknowledging it was all 'obtained by deception'. He eventually left her in 2000, pretending to be suffering from severe depression.
The inquiry is examining the conduct of undercover officers who spied on tens of thousands of activists between 1968 and 2010, with a focus on sexual relationships formed using fake identities. Jenner received a commendation for his covert work.
