Officers’ ‘Disturbing’ WhatsApp Messages

Seven police officers have been sacked without warning over ‘disturbing’ WhatsApp messages that mocked women, and disabled people, and even quipped about concealing dead bodies.

The serving and former British Transport Police (BTP) officers – PC James Elliot, PC Michael Lee, PC Steven Leung, PC Robert Whyte, PC Richard Wood, and former PCs Lee Williamson and David Ford – were all members of a WhatsApp chat called ‘Team 3 Secret Service’, which was uncovered during a different investigation into domestic abuse in October 2023.

The messages sent to the group were branded ‘shocking’ and ‘offensive in almost every way possible’ by senior police officials.

An internal misconduct hearing heard they made jokes about violence against women and girls, mocked victims, and even made references to BTP’s own Chief Constable and the ‘LGBTQI mafia’.

The worst of the message included a horrifying suggestion to stab a waitress who had an anti-police tattoo, while others made light of sexual violence, serial killing, and physical injuries.

One message, referencing a disfigured woman, said: ‘Fordy taking his new missus home tonight. This one won’t get away.’

In one incredible exchange, an officer said: ‘I have just noticed the waitress has an ACAB [All Cops Are Bastards] tattoo on her forearm. Do I say nice tattoo or stab her?’

Another responded: ‘Stab her and throw her in the river.’

Another chilling message involved a joke about keeping a woman under the floorboards. 

One officer wrote: ‘Looks like I really am a policeman. You’re going under my floorboards later sweetheart.’

There were repeated references to sexual brutality, including one exchange where officers quipped about taking ‘condoms and Viagra’ on a work trip to Bristol, followed by a message about ‘rope and gaffa tape’ with the hashtag #MeToo.

Another officer sent a photo of a bed surrounded by weapons, horror-themed props and a doll, with the comment: ‘Yours got blood on it?’

Legal counsel for the Appropriate Authority, Aaron Rathmell, said the group’s so-called ‘dark humour’ was meant to provoke a reaction but risked ‘undermining public confidence’ in policing.

He added that while the messages were written in a private setting, they showed attitudes and behaviour that were wholly incompatible with the standards expected of a police officer – referencing the Angiolini Inquiry into the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Met officer.

‘The deliberately risqué humour was meant for enjoyment and to get a reaction,’ Mr Rathmell said.

‘But dark humour often rings alarm bells because it is used to excuse unacceptable behaviour.’

He said being a police officer is a ‘privilege’, and that officers’ right to privacy is ‘fettered’ by the police Code of Ethics, even in off-duty group chats.

Four supervisors — PS Alexander Bratby, PS Russell Stobbs, and former PS Amed Vafa — were also found to have breached standards by failing to challenge the messages. All were given written warnings, a lesser penalty than dismissal.

Other messages shared included:

• Jokes about a casualty on train tracks, with one officer writing: ‘Was he armless before?’
• A cruel comment on a victim’s severe head wound: ‘That’s one way to solve dandruff.’
• Crude sexual innuendo, such as asking if anyone had ‘extra small rib’ condoms ‘for Dave’.

The misconduct hearing was concluded earlier this week, and BTP confirmed that all seven officers were found guilty of gross misconduct.

Five serving officers were dismissed instantly, and the two former officers would also have been sacked had they remained in post.

A BTP spokesperson said: ‘Four supervisors were also part of the WhatsApp group and answered allegations they breached the standards of professional behaviour by failing to challenge or report the offensive messages sent. In each case, this was assessed as misconduct and the serving officers were provided with a written warning.’

Assistant Chief Constable Charlie Doyle told MyLondon: ‘The contents of this WhatsApp group was wholly unacceptable, with the messages exchanged both shocking and offensive in almost every way possible.’

‘Those who have sent these messages have shown complete contempt for the public they serve, the office of constable and the hard-working officers and staff in BTP who come to work every day to make a difference and behave with integrity.’

‘Holding a warrant card is a privilege and anyone who thinks it is acceptable to make such comments in the name of supposed ‘banter’ quite simply has absolutely no place in policing.’

‘All officers and staff at BTP are expected to observe the highest standards of conduct and we are absolutely committed to identifying and driving out anyone who falls short of this as we have done in this case.’

Police photos of people with injuries shouldn’t be shared, let alone joked about, and a lack of humanity towards others is a dark sign in people with considerable power. However, frontline police officers have to see and deal with ugly stuff, and these police officers get little or no emotional help from their holier-than-thou bosses, so I’m guessing that dark humour is almost unavoidable.

Of course, they were foolish for using social media, even in a private group. Where have gone the days when you could sit in your local bar with your coworkers having a craic with the chaps?

The internet can be an extremely dangerous place to chat. These police officers should have perhaps met up to chat, vent and have a joke because when you put something in writing it can be misunderstood.

Unfortunately, dark humour is like food, not everybody likes all of it.

Dark humour is a mechanism of handling dark situations, this is why most people who deal with death and despair end up with a dark sense of humour, but not everybody understands this dark humour and might find it distasteful.

By sacking these police officers, what we are saying is that anyone who makes an inappropriate joke should be fired immediately. Watch out, Big Brother is watching you, so be extremely careful what you say.

Offensive is a subjective term and what is offensive to one may not be offensive to another.

I’m sure funeral directors have their own jokes and repartee, but they’re not foolish enough to publicly post them in a chat room, and posting such comments on any media app will always be someone else’s downfall.