West Mercia Police officer cleared of sending offensive messages

Joann Jinks was due to stand trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court

A West Mercia police officer has been cleared of sending offensive messages after a judge ruled charges had not been brought in time.

PC Joann Jinks was due to stand trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

She faced three counts of sending a grossly offensive message by a public communication network.

But deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram found the 41-year-old not guilty on all charges following legal argument.

The court heard the Crown Prosecution Service had initially opted to take no further action against PC Jinks, from Redditch, Worcestershire, on 14 June last year.

'Cannot be tried'

Prosecutors reversed this decision four months later after reviewing the evidence, following the involvement of the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

However, while they decided on 18 October last year she should be charged, a postal requisition was not sent until the end of March this year.

Mr Ikram ruled the requisition had not been made in accordance with the rules, adding: "The defendant cannot be tried on these three charges."

PC Jinks' co-defendant, former constable James Watts, 31, was jailed in June for 20 weeks after admitting 10 counts of sending a grossly offensive or menacing message by a public communication network.

He posted racist WhatsApp memes mocking the death of George Floyd in a group chat while serving with West Mercia Police in 2020, Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard.