Six former officers of the Metropolitan Police have received suspended prison terms for their involvement in sending racist, sexist, and homophobic messages on WhatsApp, following an
investigation by BBC Newsnight.
At Westminster Magistrates' Court, Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikran emphasized that their actions had eroded public trust in the police force.
He disregarded the notion that their views were merely "outdated" and stressed that despite not being on active duty at the time of the messages, the impact was far-reaching, causing offense to many within the country.
These former officers were found guilty of misusing a public electronic communications network, leading to the following sentences:
Michael Chadwell, 63, from Liss, Hampshire: 10 weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, plus 100 hours of unpaid work.
Peter Booth, 66, from Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire: Eight weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and 140 hours of unpaid work.
Anthony Elsom, 67, from Bournemouth: Eight weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, along with 40 hours of unpaid work.
Trevor Lewton, 65, from Swansea: Six weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and 65 hours of unpaid work.
Alan Hall, 65, from Stowmarket, Suffolk: Eight weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and 140 hours of unpaid work.
Robert Lewis, 62, from Camberley, Surrey: Fourteen weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, plus 200 hours of unpaid work. He also faced a £500 fine for possessing two friction batons in a private place.
The individuals involved served within the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection command but had retired when the offensive messages were exchanged between 2020 and 2022.
Lewis, the group's creator, sent some messages while working part-time for the Border Force, the court revealed.
Despite Lewis setting up the group, all defendants except Chadwell pleaded guilty. Lewis was approached by Newsnight after a member leaked the messages to the media.
The content, containing racist imagery and comments, was not published by the BBC. Attempts were made by some defendants to remove the posts after Newsnight's report on the group's existence.
The magistrate dismissed claims that the WhatsApp group and messages were private, emphasizing that the risk of public exposure was apparent. He condemned the officers' actions, asserting they had to realize the racist nature of their posts and the potential public fallout.
The magistrate concluded by stating, "You thought they were silly jokes; well, they're not," highlighting the gravity of their actions and the community's outrage towards their "appalling communications." Photo by Santeri Viinamäki, Wikimedia commons.