Met constable sacked over naked WhatsApp message

Matthew Collins was sacked with immediate effect for gross misconduct

A former special constable in the Met Police has been sacked after sending a woman a sexual image of herself with the intent to cause distress.

Matthew Collins, who served in the Central West Basic Command Unit, was dismissed with immediate effect after his behaviour was found to amount to gross misconduct at a hearing.

He pleaded guilty to one offence in March.

At the hearing, the Met's Matt Twist, said the behaviour was "deliberate".

'Wholly responsible'

On 27 March 2023, Collins pleaded guilty and was convicted in a criminal court of one offence of sending a communication of an indecent or offensive nature.

It related to a sexual image sent via WhatsApp to a woman, referred to as 'Miss A' to protect her identity, on 23 October 2018.

He was sentenced and ordered to pay a fine of £1,100, compensation of £500, a victim surcharge of £110 and prosecution costs of £1,000.

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Special Constable Collins was ordered to pay the fine within six weeks or in default to serve 45 days' imprisonment.

At the hearing on Friday, Met Operations Assistant Commissioner Twist said that Collins went on a date with 'Miss A', before going back to her house and engaging in consensual sexual activity.

When he was preparing to leave he took a photo of her lying naked on a bed, which was sent to her the following day on WhatsApp.

In her police statement referenced in the hearing, Miss A said that it was taken without her consent, and that the message left her feeling "vulnerable" and that Collins wanted to "'taunt her".

Giving evidence, Collins accepted that he entered a guilty plea for an offence under the Malicious Communications Act, but disputed Miss A's account that the photo was not consensual and that he intended to cause her distress or anxiety.

Collins admitted to "simple misconduct", but said that his behaviour didn't go as far as "gross misconduct".

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