Officers face action over Everard killer messages
FIVE police officers from four forces face disciplinary action over messages shared on social media about Sarah Everard’s killer, according to the police watchdog.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said two Metropolitan Police officers and one each from the forces in Sussex, Dorset and Avon and Somerset will be subject to misconduct proceedings.
Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens is serving a whole-life sentence after kidnapping, raping and murdering 33-year-old Ms Everard earlier this year.
IOPC regional director Sal Naseem said: “The allegations involved in these two investigations, if proven, have the capacity to further undermine public confidence in policing. They also once more illustrate the potential consequences for officers and come at a time when policing
standards and culture have never been more firmly in the spotlight.”
A Met PC on probation, who went on to staff a cordon as part of the search for Ms Everard, was investigated over allegations they used WhatsApp “to share with colleagues an inappropriate graphic, depicting violence against women” while off-duty.
The IOPC said: “The image was highly offensive and the officer now has a case to answer for misconduct for potentially breaching standards of professional behaviour for conduct and authority, respect and courtesy. The officer will face a misconduct meeting to answer the allegations.”
Another PC still on probation had a case to answer for “allegedly sharing the graphic and failing to challenge it” and will also be subject to a misconduct meeting. The police watchdog found there was no case to answer for a third Met PC but they will “undergo reflective practice” on the basis that “while they thought the graphic was inappropriate, rather than reporting it the image was forwarded to two people seeking their advice on how to deal with the situation”.
In a second probe, the IOPC looked into allegations that seven officers from other forces breached standards by using the encrypted messaging app Signal to share information on Couzens’ prosecution.
An officer from Dorset Police, on secondment from the force, will face a gross misconduct hearing after being accused of posting details of the interview Couzens gave under caution, several months before he admitted to her murder and before the information could be made public.
The IOPC said: “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 justice.”
The investigation indicated officers from other forces had “joined in the conversation, endorsing comments made by others and making unprofessional remarks about Couzens”, the watchdog added.
As a result, an officer from Avon and Somerset Constabulary will face a misconduct meeting. Another officer, on secondment from the Sussex force, will also “undergo the reflective practice review process in respect of one of the messages that had been sent and the tone of conversation” after it was found misconduct was “not proven” at a meeting.