Six former Metropolitan Police officers have been sentenced for sending offensive and racist WhatsApp messages. The group, who retired between 2001 and 2015, were convicted following an investigation by officers from the Met’s professional standards team.
Commander James Harman, who leads the Met’s Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command, expressed his dismay at the content of the messages. He acknowledged that this case could further damage public confidence in policing, highlighting the importance of addressing such behavior within the force.
The offensive messages were originally brought to the attention of the police by the BBC’s Newsnight program in October 2022. Shortly after being notified, the police made their first arrest. Commander Harman emphasized the commitment of the Met to take all allegations of criminality and misconduct seriously, conducting thorough investigations and bringing criminal charges against individuals when there is evidence of discrimination and abuse.
Commander Harman further explained that although the messages were sent via WhatsApp, the issue lies in the underlying mindset and conduct of the officers involved. He stated, It is less about the technology – it is the underlying mindset and the conduct that is so important for us to deal with.
The former officers were sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on December 7, where they faced charges under the Communications Act 2003. Michael Chadwell, aged 62, was found guilty of sending a grossly offensive racist message and received a suspended sentence of 10 weeks’ imprisonment, along with 100 hours of unpaid work.
The remaining five officers appeared in court in September, where they pleaded guilty to multiple counts of sending grossly offensive racist messages. Peter Booth, aged 66, received a suspended sentence of eight weeks’ imprisonment and 140 hours of unpaid work. Robert Lewis, aged 62, was sentenced to 14 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months and 200 hours of unpaid work. Anthony Elsom, aged 67, received a suspended sentence of eight weeks’ imprisonment and 140 hours of unpaid work. Alan Hall, aged 65, received a suspended sentence of eight weeks’ imprisonment and 40 hours of unpaid work. Trevor Lewton, aged 65, received a suspended sentence of six weeks’ imprisonment and 65 hours of unpaid work.
All of the former officers had served in various parts of the Met during their careers. Notably, they had all spent time in the Diplomatic Protection Group, which is now known as the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command.
The sentencing of these former officers highlights the Met’s commitment to addressing misconduct within their ranks. It also serves as a reminder of the work that still needs to be done to ensure equality and fairness within the police force and rebuild public trust.
Such incidents further emphasize the need for ongoing training and accountability measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The Met, along with other police forces, must continue their efforts to promote a culture of diversity, inclusivity, and respect among its officers to ensure that incidents like these become a thing of the past.
