Resale: With Police officers sharing deeply racist and offensive WhatsApp messages, including one comparing ‘Meghan Markle to a Golliwog’ and another where a boy in a hoodie was called ‘monkey in the jungle’, the court for gross misconduct
- PCs accused Sukhdev Jeer and Paul Hefford and former officer Richard Hammond
- Court hears of WhatsApp calling a boy in a hoodie a ‘monkey in the jungle’
- Another was from a disabled man walking to the Jurassic Park theme song
- All three officers deny that their behavior amounts to gross misconduct
A Met police officer posted a meme to his colleagues who liked Meghan Markle at a Golliwog, a court of gross misconduct heard this afternoon.
PC Sukhdev Jeer – along with PC Paul Hefford and former officer Richard Hammond – are accused of sharing racist and offensive messages in a WhatsApp group.
They also failed to challenge or report the other members of the chat after receiving the offensive posts, it is alleged.
All three officers deny that their behavior amounts to gross misconduct. If it is proven against them, they will be fired.
Vishal Misra, for the Met police, asked PC Jeer this afternoon about a meme that displayed the image of a ‘Golliwog’ toy with the caption: “A preview of Meghan’s wedding dress.”
PC Jeer reacted to this and said he did not even find it funny at that point.
‘The fact that someone is out there can create it, it’s not a fun thing to do, but I put it on the group not to laugh about it, but [to show] that there are people out there who still do it and find it funny. ‘
PC Jeer explained that he views memes as ‘jokes’ and tries to ‘find humor’ in what he has posted.
During cross-examination, Mr Misra went through more of the content that PC Jeer shared on the group.
One meme said, “We asked a hundred normal people, ‘What do you associate with Islam?’ 1. Terrorism 2. Pedophilia 3. Hate preaching 4. Unwelcome intruders 5. Excessive breeders 6. Goat / Camel f ******. ‘
Former Met Officer Richard Hammond was facing the camera at another time in London
Serving with PC Officer PC Paul Hefford is accused of sharing inappropriate messages
It is understood as one of the extracts that form part of the court for gross misconduct
Mr Misra said at this morning’s hearing in Fulham that PC Jeer had contributed the most to the group, followed by PC Hefford and then former PC Hammond.
The trio were all part of a unit at Bethnal Green Police Station and were members of a WhatsApp group called ‘But They Promised’ which was active between January and December 2018.
Mr Misra gave a ‘fragrance’ of the kind of messages shared, saying: ‘All the content in the logbook is presented to be explicitly racist, homophobic, sexist, capable and Islamophobic.’
He added: “All the respondents failed to challenge each other regarding the content being posted.”
The panel heard that PC Jeer posted an image of a young boy in a hoodie with the caption as a ‘monkey in the jungle’ and with an image of a penis.
PC Hefford allegedly posted the same image on a disabled person.
The former PC Hammond allegedly sent a ‘discriminatory message’ about the London borough Tower Hamlets.
“In explaining the message, former PC Hammond in fact said that people from the Bangladeshi community accept election fraud as part of their democratic processes,” he said. Misra said.
The lawyer added that six discriminatory videos were uploaded on the group.
The trio were all part of a unit at Bethnal Green Police Station and were members of a WhatsApp group called ‘But They Promised’ which was active during 2018
The first five were placed by PC Jeer and the sixth by PC Hefford, the panel heard.
Mr Misra summed up one video saying: ‘It takes a scene from the movie Jurassic Park and plays the Jurassic Park theme song and on that theme song a man with disabilities is seen walking out of a building with the help of his caregiver . ‘
Description of another: ‘This refers to a website called funnyordie.com which shows a white woman who says that if you want to get good exercise in effect, they will arrange for a black man to chase her around so she can exercise gain.’
From a third: “It shows someone suffering from dwarfism jumping into a body of water with sound effects designed to mock.”
It is alleged that the behavior was ‘prolonged’ as the group was active for a year.
“There has been a persistent and prolonged failure by all respondents to meet the relevant professional standards,” Mr Misra said.
“The communities mocked by all the respondents in the WhatsApp group are part of the communities they police.”
All three officers deny that their behavior amounts to gross misconduct.
The tribunal continues.