PRESS RELEASE : Met welcomes dismissal of officers who sent disgusting WhatsApp messages [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Met Police on 9 December 2022.

One serving officer has been dismissed without notice and three former officers would have been dismissed had they been in post following their membership of a WhatsApp group.

On Friday, 9 December, a misconduct panel found that former PC Joel Borders and former PC Jonathon Cobban, previously attached to West Area Command Unit, former PC William Neville, previously attached to the South West Command Unit, and serving PC Gary Bailey, attached to Central North Command Unit, breached police standards of professional behaviour of discreditable conduct; authority, respect and courtesy; challenging and reporting improper conduct; and equality and diversity.

The panel had heard that in excess of 6,000 messages had been shared in a WhatsApp group in 2019, over 400 of which were inappropriate, many of which were shockingly offensive and none of which were reported by any officer.

Commander Jon Savell, from the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards, said: “Anyone with a shred of decency would struggle to read this disgusting language, let alone send it in a message. These words could not be regarded as acceptable by any stretch of the imagination, and these officers should be ashamed.

“These messages demonstrate attitudes that have absolutely no place in the Met, and it is right that these officers have been dismissed, or would have been dismissed had they not left already.

“We wholeheartedly apologise to all who have been hurt by their disgraceful words and behaviour. They have failed Londoners, communities, and the vastly dedicated, decent majority of the Met. I know colleagues from Norfolk and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary will be as appalled as I am.

“These officers – and those who share their views – don’t belong in the Met and we are working to reform. We have increased the size of our anti-corruption command, are appealing to the public to report rogue officers, and have boosted the size of our professional standards unit.

“Reform will take time but we are committed to driving out officers who should not be in the job, restoring trust in the service, and providing the excellent service that Londoners expect.”

The panel heard highly offensive and prejudiced comments were made about a number of communities and individuals, with only one officer challenging a single comment in the entire chain of messages.

They mocked victims of crime and showed disdain for various areas of London which are home to a variety of cultures. The officers made light of serious crimes, made sexualised comments about colleagues, and included racial abuse about a colleague.

James Berry, counsel for the Commissioner and the two Chief Constables opened the case by telling the panel: “The messages exchanged in that group are, in the submission of the Commissioner and both Chief Constables, an abomination. They were a disgrace in 2019 and they are a disgrace today. They were wholly inappropriate in any workplace context, but certainly in the police service of 2019. They bring deep shame on the police service. The process of repairing the damage to public confidence in policing caused by these six officers’ conduct includes the bringing of these proceedings.”

It was alleged that former PC Joel Borders, former PC Jonathon Cobban, former PC William Neville, and serving PC Gary Bailey each:

• sent messages that were inappropriate and/or offensive
• sent messages that were discriminatory
• received messages that were inappropriate and/or offensive that they failed to challenge or report
• remained members of and therefore associated with a WhatsApp group which they knew was being used to exchange inappropriate and/or offensive messages.

The officers and former officers will now be added to the Barred List held by the College of Policing. Those appearing on the list cannot be employed by police, local policing bodies (PCCs), the Independent Office for Police Conduct or Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.

As a result of the Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation, former PC Borders, former PC Cobban and former PC Neville were charged with offences of improperly using a public electronic communications network contrary to section 127(1) of the Communications Act 2003.

They stood trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. On 21 September Borders and Cobban were convicted and Neville was acquitted.

Cobban, 35, was found guilty of three counts of sending grossly offensive messages on a public communications network contrary to S127 of the Communications Act 2003.

Borders, 46, was found guilty of five counts of sending grossly offensive messages on a public communications network contrary to S127 of the Communications Act 2003.

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The officers’ misconduct cases were heard jointly and together with the cases of PC Matthew Forster (Civil Nuclear Constabulary) and former PC Daniel Comfort (Norfolk Constabulary) both of whose conduct was also found to amount to gross misconduct. PC Forster was dismissed without notice and former PC Comfort would have been dismissed had he been in post.

PC Forster had served in the MPS between 2019 and 2020, and former PC Comfort had served in the Met between 2019 and 2021.