Met Police: Ex-officers sentenced over racist WhatsApp posts

Robert Lewis set up the WhatsApp group, the court was told

Six former Metropolitan Police officers have been given suspended prison sentences for sending racist, sexist and homophobic messages on WhatsApp, after a BBC Newsnight investigation.

Deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram said they had harmed public confidence in the police.

He did not accept a suggestion that their views were merely "antiquated".

They were not serving officers during their participation in the group, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.

Dozens of messages with content deemed to be offensive were shared during a two-year period, with references made to among others the Duchess of Sussex and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Judge Ikram said the messages were "offensive to many good people in this country and not only people who might be directly offended".

The former officers were all convicted of improper use of a public electronic communications network.

The six men were sentenced as follows:

• Michael Chadwell, 63, from Liss, Hampshire - 10 weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and 100 hours' unpaid work

• Peter Booth, 66, from Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire - eight weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and 140 hours' unpaid work

• Anthony Elsom, 67, from Bournemouth - eight weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and 40 hours' unpaid work

• Trevor Lewton, 65, from Swansea - six weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and 65 hours' unpaid work.

• Alan Hall, 65, from Stowmarket, Suffolk - eight weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and 140 hours' unpaid work.

• Robert Lewis, 62, from Camberley, Surrey - 14 weeks' imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, with 200 hours' unpaid work. He was also fined £500 for possessing two friction batons in a private place, contrary to section 141(1A) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988

The officers served in the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection command but were retired when they exchanged the offensive messages, between 2020 and 2022.

Lewis, who set up the group, sent some of the messages while working as a part-time Border Force officer, the court heard.

Michael Chadwell was convicted following a trial

All the defendants pleaded guilty to the charge apart from Chadwell, who was convicted following a trial.

The court heard Lewis was called by Newsnight after a member of the group became angry at the nature of the messages between the officers and "broke ranks" by revealing the contents to journalists.

The messages, which the BBC has decided not to publish, contained pictures and videos, with racist comments added by the men.

'Appalling communications'

Some of the defendants tried to delete the posts after Newsnight broadcast a report revealing the existence of the WhatsApp group.

Judge Ikram, who dismissed the claim that the WhatsApp group was private and the messages were not intended to be made public, told the former officers they "ought to have known, and it is difficult for me to accept that you did not know, that these were racist posts".

The men were not serving officers when the WhatsApp messages were sent

He added: "There would always be a risk that even within a private group that these posts would become public."

Judge Ikram said the risk of undermining confidence in the police was an "aggravating factor" he had to consider when deciding the men's sentences.

"I have no doubt each of you now understands the public outrage that there will be in all communities about your appalling communications," the magistrate said. 'You thought they were silly jokes; well, they're not."

In a statement issued after the sentencing hearing, Cdr James Harman, who leads the Met's anti-corruption and abuse command, described the messages as "absolutely appalling".

"Given the defendants once served as police officers, we recognise that this case may further damage confidence in policing," he said.

"Colleagues across the Met will also be disgusted and will be pleased to see the outcome today."

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