Sarah Everard Five police officers facing action over murder probe messages
APOLICE officer from Avon and Somerset Constabulary is among five across the country facing disciplinary action in connection with the sharing of information connected to the murder of Sarah Everard.
The officers, who have not been named, were the subject of investigations by the Independent Office of Police Conduct, although not connected to murderer Wayne Couzens or the crime itself.
The IOPC looked at allegations that seven officers from several forces breached standards of professional behaviour when they used the Signal messaging platform to share information connected to Couzens’ prosecution.
The IOPC said it was alleged that on March 13 an officer from Dorset Police posted details of an interview given by Couzens under caution which were presented during a non-reportable court hearing. That was several months before Couzens admitted murdering Ms Everard.
“We concluded that the officer had a case to answer for gross misconduct after we looked at whether the messages, had they got into the public domain, would have brought discredit on the police service and potentially interfered with the course of jus
tice,” a spokesperson for the IOPC said. “We also considered whether there was a legitimate policing purpose in sharing the information.”
The Signal messaging chat also involved officers from other forces who joined in the conversation, endorsed comments made by others and made unprofessional remarks about Couzens, the IOPC said.
“In relation to this we found that two officers, from Sussex Police and Avon and Somerset Constabulary, had a case to answer for misconduct for alleged breaches of professional standards of behaviour for conduct, authority, respect and courtesy; and in the case of the Sussex officer standards for challenging and reporting improper behaviour.
“At a meeting held this week for the Sussex officer misconduct was not proven although it was determined that the officer, who was on secondment from the force, should undergo the reflective practice review process in respect of one of the messages that had been sent and the tone of conversation.
“The officer from Avon and Somerset Constabulary will face a misconduct meeting in due course,” the IOPC spokesperson said. “Our investigation found no case to answer for a further four officers who were members of the chat group.”
The investigation into the Signal messenger chat was not the only IOPC investigation into the conduct of police officers surrounding the rape and murder of Sarah Everard.
Another investigation looked at allegations that a probationary constable at the Met Police used WhatsApp to share with colleagues an inappropriate graphic, which depicted violence against women.
That investigation was completed in August, and the officer involved now faces a case for misconduct, while a second probationary constable has a case to answer for allegedly sharing the graphic and failing to challenge it, the IOPC said.