Two metropolitan police officers were found guilty today of sending grossly insulting misogynistic and racist messages in a WhatsApp group containing: Sarah Everardhis killer.
Met officer on duty Jonathon Cobban, 35, and former PC Joel Borders, 45, joked about raping co-workers with killer Wayne Couzens before raping and murdering Ms. Everard.
The messages, sent on April 5, 2019, were discovered by police when they searched Couzens’ phone. It contained sick references about: tasing children, animals and disabled children with Down syndrome.
The officers also discussed sexually abusing victims of domestic violence and raping and beating a colleague Borders was going to train with.
Cobban and Borders were warned they could face jail time today at the City of London Magistrates’ Court, with a judge calling the reports “sickening” and “disgusting”.
A third officer, PC William Neville, 34, was acquitted by the court of sharing such material.
Agents William Neville, 34, and Jonathon Cobban, 35, and former PC Joel Borders, 45, were members of the chat called “Bottle and Stoppers” along with Wayne Couzens. Pictured: Former Met Police officer Joel Borders arrives at London court on July 28
Serving With officer Jonathon Cobban (pictured), 35, and former PC Joel Borders, 45 ‘jokes’ about raping co-workers with murderer Wayne Couzens Photo: Jonathon Cobban attends Westminster Magistrates’ Court July 29
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of (left to right) employed by Metropolitan police officers PC William Neville (who was not convicted), and Jonathon Cobban, along with former police officer Joel Borders serving in the dock of Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on March 16th
At the beginning of a verdict today, District Judge Sarah Turnock said it was “horrible” that Borders “displayed a competent demeanor in subsequently adding a disabled person to Cobban’s disgusting list of victims”.
“I can honestly say I find it sickening to think of a police officer making fun of using firearms in this way,” she added.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the court heard Cobban, Borders and Neville were members of a chat called “Bottle and Stoppers” along with killer Couzens.
Couzens, a former parliamentary and diplomatic protection officer, was given a full life sentence last year for the kidnapping, rape and murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard.
Detectives investigating the case discovered the offensive material in a WhatsApp group on one of Couzens’ phones.
Cobban, of Didcot, Oxfordshire, and Borders, of Preston, Lancashire, each denied five cases of transmission over a public communications network as offensive.
Borders was convicted of all charges, while Cobban was found guilty of three of the charges but acquitted of the remaining two.
Wayne Couzens (pictured), a former parliamentary and diplomatic protection officer, was given a full life sentence last year for the kidnapping, rape and murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard
Sarah Everard (pictured), 33, was raped and murdered by serving Met officer Wayne Couzens as she walked home to South London on March 3 last year.
Cobban and Borders were warned by a judge that they could face jail time today at the City of London Magistrates’ Court (pictured)
Neville, of Weybridge, Surrey, denied and was acquitted of two identical charges.
District Judge Sarah Turnock postponed the sentence until November 2, telling Borders and Cobban: ‘You have been found guilty of these offences. And these transgressions make no mistake, they are exceedingly serious. You both have a very real prospect of going to jail, I think.’
Edward Brown, prosecutor, said the chat featured “a close-knit group” of seven police officers who had switched from the civilian nuclear police to the Metropolitan Police in February 2019, five months after murderer Couzens.
“There is no evidence that any of the defendants, or the other members of the group, ‘called out’ or challenged any of their co-defendants after receiving what the prosecution deems the abusive messages,” he told police. court.
“Each defendant actively participated and chose to remain in the group.”
In 2017, Cobban had volunteered as the Civil Nuclear Constabulary’s Race and Diversity Custodian, the court heard.
Mr Brown said the role required specialist knowledge and understanding.
Cobban was registered with an Equal Opportunities Consultative Support Network to provide social, moral and professional support to workers with protected characteristics.
All three men were handed over to the Metropolitan Police Service in February 2019.
Marcel accepted that he had received extensive training on diversity and equality and how to deal with vulnerable victims, but denied that he had this in mind when sending the messages.
He told the court, “We’ve spent more time in this courtroom looking at the Code of Ethics than in my entire career.”
On August 9, 2019, Neville and Cobban discussed the ‘landmarks’ on their ‘patch’.
When Cobban said that “London’s largest mosque” is in place, Neville replied, “Haha! That’s useful when you have to execute a warrant, so you know where they are.’
Neville confirmed that he was referring to an arrest warrant under the Terrorist Act, but denied that he had suggested that all Muslims were terrorists.
He said: ‘To me, with the dark sense of humor referred to earlier, I am not saying that every Muslim is a terrorist.
‘Shall I say it out loud? Depends on the person I said it to, sure, because for some people it can be offensive.
‘I would just like to say that a close friend, an almost relative, of ours is a Muslim.
“I made this reference and said this joke and they laughed because they understood the humor of myself and my family, the background I had and my childhood. It’s a joke.’
‘It’s dark humor, it’s satire. You can text something without meaning it literally.
“It was sent in a nanosecond.
“When you’re joking, when you’re chatting with your friends, you name each other and it’s quick humor that comes out, very quick fire.”
The officers’ actions have been condemned by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)
Sal Naseem, regional director of the IOPC, said after Wednesday’s court hearing: “The messages sent by these police officers were unforgivable and extremely disturbing given the profession they represent. Social media should not be a shelter for these kinds of opinions.
“This kind of behavior seriously undermines public confidence in police work. It is part of our role, and of the police forces themselves, to ensure that it is eradicated and that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.
“It’s also another illustration of why we wrote to police chiefs last year to highlight our concerns about inappropriate use of social media and ask them to remind police and officers of their obligations under the Police Code of Ethics and the Code of Conduct.” standards of professional conduct.’
The sentencing was adjourned to November 2 at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court.