Five former Metropolitan Police officers have confessed to sending racist messages on WhatsApp, following an investigation by BBC Newsnight. The individuals pleaded guilty at Westminster
Magistrates' Court to sending highly offensive racist messages, some of which targeted the Duchess of Sussex, as well as other members of the royal family, including the Prince and Princess of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Philip. These messages were exchanged between September 2020 and 2022.
The charges also revealed that the five men made references to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, former Home Secretary Priti Patel, and former Health Secretary Sajid Javid in their communications. All five had served in various roles within the Metropolitan Police, with a common period spent in the Diplomatic Protection Group. They retired from the force between 2001 and 2015 and were charged under the Communications Act 2003.
The former officers involved are as follows:
1.Peter Booth, 66, of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, pleaded guilty to four counts of sending grossly offensive racist messages through public communication. He retired from the Met in April 2001.
2.Robert Lewis, 62, of Camberley, Surrey, admitted to eight counts of the same offense. He retired from the Met in May 2015 and later became a Home Office official before being dismissed for gross misconduct in November of the previous year.
3.Anthony Elsom, 67, of Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to three counts. He retired from the Met in May 2012.
4.Alan Hall, 65, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, entered guilty pleas to three counts. He retired from the Met in June 2015.
5.Trevor Lewton, 65, of Swansea, confessed to one count. He retired from the Met in August 2009.
Another former Met officer, Michael Chadwell, aged 62, from Liss, Hampshire, denied one count of sending grossly offensive racist messages through public communication. He retired from the Met in November 2015. Chadwell will face trial on 6 November at City of London Magistrates' Court, while the remaining officers will be sentenced on the same day and at the same court at the conclusion of his trial. All six have been granted unconditional bail.
These charges emerged following a BBC Newsnight investigation in October, which subsequently prompted an inquiry by the Metropolitan Police's Directorate of Professional Standards. Photo by 1pratikyadav, Wikimedia commons.