EIGHT police officers exchanged WhatsApp messages characterised by “routine misogyny” and “casual racism” as well as “mean spirited and bullying remarks about colleagues and members of the public”, a misconduct hearing has heard.
A panel sitting in Bradford heard how a group used by some West Yorkshire Police officers based in Pudsey also included “the proliferation of derogatory, offensive and discriminatory language” as well the sharing of photographs of “death scenes”, car crashes, missing people and detainees.
Setting out the case against the five officers and three now former officers, Olivia Checa-Dover told a hearing on Tuesday that they do not deny their involvement in the WhatsApp group.
She that they will argue that “what went on was an expression of dark humour, a vehicle through which they would process traumatic experiences, a forum in which to express themselves freely, seek support from their colleagues and provide support to others.”
Ms Checa-Dover said: “The validity of that excuse – or context, as they would say – is the central question.”
She compared the behaviour of the officers to that “routinely suffered by less popular school children” but added this is “usually ironed out in adulthood”.
Serving officers Sgt Mark Otter, Pc Dominique Hawkins, Pc Javaid Habeeb, Pc Luke Riddett, and an officer referred to only as Pc X, all deny gross misconduct between July 2020 and September 2021.
Three other ex-constables – Tom Harrison, Matthew Harrison and Lee Hillyard – also deny gross misconduct but have resigned from the force.
Ms Checa-Dover gave the panel a series of examples from the WhatsApp chat.
She said that, when discussing a member of the public referred to as Miss A, Pc X posted: “Miss A on a bridge …. jump, jump, jump.”
And she said Pc Habeeb joked about a colleague committing suicide.
Ms Checa-Dover said that Pc Riddett posted a photo of an Asian detainee with a beard captioned “if you had to draw a terrorist” to which Pc Tom Harrison replied “racist”.
When Pc Riddett said “no it’s regional”, Pc Tom Harrison posted two laughing face emojis.
The barrister said to the panel: “Was this dark humour or outright racism?”
She told the panel that, in one conversation about going to a strip club Pc Tom Harrison mentioned a female officer saying: “You gonna strip too?”
Ms Checa-Dover said messages were exchanged about photographs posted of an officer, referred to as Pc A, and his sister.
She said: “The group variously joked that Pc A could not be blamed for ‘his genetics’ and Pc Hillyard changed the group icon to a picture of Pc A and his sister, and forwarded a mock-up of The Hills Have Eyes to include images of the two.”
The barrister said to the panel: “Was this a safe place for colleagues to seek support from their peers and provide support, or was it was a platform used to communicate mean-spirited bullying remarks about colleagues deemed not part of the group?”
She said that, in a conversation complaining about a “vulnerability appointment” with a member of the public, Pc Riddett said “probably asking for it anyway”, which the barrister told the panel was “an inappropriate, victim-blaming comment”.
Ms Checa-Dover said that, in a conversation about “naked Uno”, Sgt Otter referred to “bubbles, showing off her rack” and the same officer expressed his regret at having missed the opportunity to “Eiffel Tower” one officer.
She said Pc Riddett joked: “It’s not harassment if they say yes. Remember lads, 50 no’s and 1 yes is still a yes”.
Ms Checa-Dover told the panel the eight officers “engaged in conversations, via the exchange of messages, which were characterised by routine misogyny, casual racism, the proliferation of derogatory, offensive and discriminatory language, and mean-spirited and bullying remarks about colleagues and members of the public.”
She said: “The communications identified demonstrate that offensive and derogatory language was essentially par-for-the-course – not out of necessity to support each other but as part of a culture which saw resort to bullying and ostracization of those perceived as non-conforming or outside the group as acceptable.”
She said officers also failed to challenge “plainly offensive and discriminatory language and sentiments, which were often misogynistic, racist and, in cases, transphobic.
“Such conduct risks undermining trust between the public and West Yorkshire Police, and the police more generally.”
The misconduct hearing is expected to last two weeks.
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