Sacked, police who said they hoped teen runaway ‘got raped’

Boy’s mother heard recording on answerphone

TWO police officers have lost their jobs after they were caught saying they hoped a vulnerable teenage boy ‘got raped’.

PC Samuel Dexter and PC Hannah Mayo did not realise their shocking conversation was being recorded on an answerphone belonging to the youngster’s mother.

The officers had driven over to the family’s house after receiving a call from the 14-year-old’s mother.

PC Dexter had attended the address earlier that same evening, when the mother had reported that her ‘vulnerable’ son was missing.

The boy had subsequently been found by his older sister, who lived nearby – but had run off again when PC Dexter pulled up, prompting another search for him. And when the officer was called back to the address later that night, he vented his frustration to accompanying constable Hannah Mayo.

PC Dexter was recording saying: ‘I have no interest whatsoever.

‘He seemed to be relishing in the fact that I had been driving around aimlessly looking for him. I felt like saying to him, “Whatever, you little ****, I don’t give a ****. I hope you get raped.” ’

PC Mayo responded: ‘Yes, butt raped.’

Both officers were heard laughing on the two-minute recording, which ended as they pulled up outside the boy’s house.

But they were unaware that somehow the conversation had been caught on the mother’s answerphone. It was not clear how this happened.

PCs Dexter, 36, and Mayo, 32, appeared yesterday before a misconduct hearing at Avon and Somerset Police Headquarters in Portishead, Bristol.

Both had already admitted to gross misconduct in relation to the incident in September .

Mark Loker and Peter Land of the Police Federation, representing PC Dexter and PC Mayo respectively, told Chief Constable Andy Marsh that the two constables were both exemplary officers. They said both officers expressed absolute and genuine remorse for the comments they had made, which were highly out of character for both.

But Chief Constable Marsh said that he could not accept that their comments were a mistake – and he dismissed both of them without notice.

Chief Constable Marsh said the comments of the officers went ‘way beyond the boundaries’ of dark humour. He said: ‘These comments were about a vulnera- ble child who was displaying acute risk factors.

‘The public will be outraged that such comments were made by police officers.

‘My conclusion is that PC Dexter and PC Mayo should be dismissed without notice.

‘I am sorry to have to give you this conclusion, but that is what it must be.’

Defending themselves before the hearing, an emotional PC Dexter and PC Mayo both said they were filled with remorse over their comments, and said they ‘felt sick’ hearing them.

Father-of-five PC Dexter said: ‘I still to this day can’t believe it was me who said those things. I am absolutely mortified. It’s not who I am. I am deeply sorry for the comments I made.

‘I can only put it down to the stress and frustration of the incident – although that is not a validation.’

PC Mayo added: ‘I have thought about this incident every day since. I’m so disappointed in myself.

‘It makes you question yourself – you’re supposed to be in a position of trust, and to do something so stupid that’s had such an impact on the family is a horrible thing. I feel absolutely gutted.

‘It makes you feel like you’ve let everybody down.’

‘Absolutely mortified’