Former police worker shared image of dead teenager in railway tragedy
BRITISH Transport Police (BTP) have condemned a former worker who shared a picture of a dead teenager with his girlfriend and a WhatsApp group.
The force said it was ‘‘shocked to the core’’ after learning that Joshua Tilt, a control room employee, had used his personal mobile to obtain a ‘‘highly sensitive’’ photograph from the scene of a railway fatality.
BTP also apologised to the family of the deceased person, 18-year-old Lewis Willliams, who was found dead on a railway line in Slough, Berkshire, on June 21.
Tilt, of Lye Close Lane, Quinton, pleaded guilty to a charge of misconduct in a public office at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday.
The force stated the image was initially received by the control room on email and a colleague reported Tilt to the professional standards department on June 28 after he disclosed that he had sent it to his partner.
He was arrested two days later and confessed to sending it to a WhatsApp group chat with 12 people in.
Tilt tried to quit, but his resignation was rejected and he was sacked without notice on July 14.
Detective Chief Constable Alistair Sutherland said: “The actions of Joshua Tilt have shocked all of us at BTP to the core. As an organisation, we take great pride in supporting families through some of the darkest days of their lives, and treating each of them with care, compassion and respect.
“To know that the actions of one of our employees actually intensified the suffering of a family is something that we find incredibly distressing. Our Chief Constable visited the family to explain what had happened and apologise unreservedly.”
He added: “As soon as a member of staff reported Tilt’s actions, an investigation was immediately launched by our professional standards department and he was arrested within two days.”
He added: “His actions are in no way representative of the thousands of BTP officers, staff and volunteers who display the highest levels of professionalism and commitment every single day to the communities we serve.
“They are sickening and completely incompatible with both public decency and what is to be rightly expected of a member of the police service. To the family of Lewis Williams, we are truly sorry this happened.”
Tilt was granted bail and will be sentenced on December 14.