Police are sacked after vile racist Meghan slur
TWO Metropolitan Police officers have been sacked after posting offensive messages in a group chat, including a racist joke about the Duchess of Sussex.
PC Sukhdev Jeer and PC Paul Hefford were yesterday found guilty of gross misconduct for sharing inappropriate, highly offensive and discriminatory content on WhatsApp in 2018.
Their actions were described by a tribunal as “abhorrent” and “fell seriously short of those expected of a Metropolitan Police officer”. Chair Maurice Cohen concluded: “Dismissal is the only appropriate action.”
The hearing at the Empress State Building in west London heard one message made offensive remarks about Meghan Markle.
Mr Cohen said the posts were “highly corrosive” to members of the public “including those in the local community” they served and “caused serious reputational damage to the Metropolitan Police as a whole”.
The hearing was told the officers, based at Bethnal Green police station in east London, also failed to challenge and/or report group members after receiving the offensive messages.
Mr Cohen said the exchanges took place “over an extended period” and the officers “should have been aware” of their “unacceptable nature”.
He added: “(They) should have been aware these posts were overtly racist and sexist.”
Jeer, described as the “most active contributing member”, posted a series of “highly discriminatory and offensive” pictures and messages. One was about the Duchess of Sussex while another featured a young boy in a hoodie, with a racist caption.
Meanwhile, Hefford posted a picture of two black men lying next to two white women, with derrogatory and offensive comments.
Barrister Ben Summers argued Jeer should not be fired over a “handful of inappropriate jokes”, suggesting they caused “limited harm”, and called for just a warning so he could “learn”.
Michael Shaw, representing Hefford, said the officer was embarrassed and had been taught a “sad lesson”.
Messages from another member of the group – former officer Richard Hammond – were judged by the panel to amount to misconduct.
Vishal Misra, representing the Met, said dismissal was needed to maintain confidence in the force, adding: “Trust once lost is not easily regained.”
Failures
It comes as the Met, the UK’s largest police force, was placed under special measures this week after a series of failures. Commander Jon Savell, of Professional Standards, said: “These vile messages were shared in 2018 within a closed WhatsApp group between a small group of officers.
“It is completely unacceptable for anyone, let alone a police officer, to behave in such a manner. The actions of these three are inexcusable.
“The whole of the Met is focused on rooting out anyone who displays this type of behaviour.”