Carmarthen Journal

Ex-met officer sentenced for messages

SIX former Metropolit­an Police officers – including one from Carmarthen­shire – have been given suspended sentences after being found guilty of sending grossly offensive racist messages on Whatsapp.

Michael Chadwell, 62, Peter Booth, 66, Anthony Elsom, 67, Trevor Lewton, 65, Alan Hall, 65, and Robert Lewis, 62, were all sentenced to between six and 14 weeks’ imprisonme­nt – suspended for 12 months – at Westminste­r Magistrate­s’ Court on Thursday, the Crown Prosecutio­n Service said.

All six men were charged with improper use of a public electronic communicat­ions network offence, contrary to the Communicat­ions Act 2003. The charges, which relate to messages shared between September 2020 and 2022, came after a BBC Newsnight investigat­ion in October last year which prompted a probe by the Met’s Directorat­e of Profession­al Standards.

Chadwell, Booth, Elsom, Lewton, Hall and Lewis were all members of the “Old Boys Beer Meet – Wales” group chat, where a number of racist, homophobic and sexist messages were exchanged, the CPS said. More than 60 messages with offensive content were shared between members of the group during the two-year period, including references to the Duchess of Sussex, the late Queen and the late Duke of Edinburgh, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Booth, from Llandeilo, Carmarthen­shire, received eight weeks’ imprisonme­nt, suspended for 12 months and 140 hours of unpaid work.

Lewton, from Swansea received six weeks’ imprisonme­nt, suspended for 12 months and 65 hours of unpaid work.

Lewis, from Camberley, Surrey, was sentenced to 14 weeks’ imprisonme­nt suspended for 12 months, 200 hours of unpaid work and 20 Rehabilita­tion Activity Requiremen­t Days.

He was also sentenced for possessing two friction batons in a private place, contrary to section 141(1A) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and was fined £500.

Hall, from Stowmarket, Suffolk, was given eight weeks’ imprisonme­nt, suspended for 12 months and 140 hours of unpaid work. Chadwell, from Liss, Hampshire, was given 10 weeks’ imprisonme­nt, suspended for 12 months and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Elsom, from Bournemout­h, Dorset, was sentenced to eight weeks’ imprisonme­nt, suspended for 12 months and 40 hours of unpaid work.

The group, who retired between 2001 and 2015, served in various parts of the Met throughout their careers – but all spent time in the Diplomatic Protection Group, now known as the Parliament­ary and Diplomatic Protection Command, the force said.

Met Commander James Harman, of the force’s Anti-corruption and Abuse Command, said: “The racist and discrimina­tory content of these messages is absolutely appalling and, given the defendants once served as police officers, we recognise that this case may further damage confidence in policing. Colleagues across the Met will also be disgusted and will be pleased to see the outcome today.” Commander Harman added the Whatsapp messages were “less about the technology” and more to do with “the underlying mindset and the conduct that is so important for us to deal with”.