Merseyside PCs banned over abhorrent WhatsApp messages
- Published
The police officers had resigned prior to the misconduct hearing
Three police officers who exchanged "deeply offensive" messages about female colleagues in a WhatsApp chat have been banned from the profession.
Connor O'Hare, Thomas Taylor and Bradley Johnson also exchanged racist messages about refugees and discussed taking illicit drugs.
Merseyside Police described the messages as "abhorrent and vile".
The officers, who had already resigned, were dismissed for breaching the standards of professional behaviour.
The misconduct hearing was told the officers shared 5,934 messages over a five-month period in 2022 in a group chat titled "Magaluf".
It heard they sent and received messages about the use of illicit drugs and driving without a licence in a foreign country.
They also shared 252 derogatory comments, which were sexualised in nature, about female colleagues and exchanged racist messages about refugees prior to a trip to Krakow.
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said the officers had "no place in policing" and apologised to their female colleagues who were affected by this investigation.
"I hope that the communities of Merseyside recognise that the behaviours of these officers are not reflective of the behaviours demonstrated by the majority of Merseyside officers," she said.
"Merseyside Police [is] committed to improving trust and confidence in Merseyside Police and such behaviour will absolutely not be tolerated."
The officers will also be placed on the College of Policing Barred list.
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