A dishonest Metropolitan Police officer has been jailed for sending offensive WhatsApp messages to his former partner.
Thomas Phillips, 34, of Simone Drive, Croydon, admitted five offences of sending grossly offensive messages when he appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 26th July 2023.
He had initially denied the offences, but later changed his plea.
Phillips was sentenced at the same court on Friday, 25th August 2023.
It is an offence under section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 to send, by means of a public electronic communications network, a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character. The maximum penalty on summary conviction is 26 weeks' custody and/or an unlimited fine.
For the spotters out there, this offence is a bit unusual in that proceedings can be brought at any time within 3 years of the alleged commission of the offence, and not the usual 6 months mandated by section 127 of the Magistrates' Court Act 1980.
The court heard that Phillips sent the abusive messages to his former partner, PC Samantha Ryan, who had started a relationship with PC Danny Gobin, an officer of Mauritian descent.
In the messages, sent between 8th April and 8th May 2021, he said that Mr Gobin was "genetically drawn" to Ms Ryan because she "was ginger and had a nice arse". He also posted a series of highly offensive racial slurs about Mr Gobin, referring to his appearance and implying he had criminal tendencies.
As a further demonstration of Phillips' character, he initially tried to pin the blame for the messages on Ms Ryan, falsely telling police that she had sent them using his phone in an effort to incriminate him.
In a victim impact statement by Ms Ryan, she told the court that she was fearful of physical and work-related reprisals if she reported Phillips' behaviour. She said that Phillips' was threatening and controlling towards her.
Colin Banham, mitigating, said that his client had shown genuine remorse. He added that Phillips was a man of previous good character and had not been in any further trouble in the 2 years since the commission of the offences. Mr Phillips was also in a relationship with a new girlfriend, he said.
But District Judge Louisa Cieciora, who has previously been the legal chair on police misconduct panels, was not in the mood for any nonsense from a corrupt copper.
She expressed concerns about Phillips' true character. She questioned his prospect of rehabilitation, noting that his pre-sentence report mentioned "core beliefs of racial hatred as well as misogyny".
Addressing Phillips, DJ Cieciora said: "Your racial comments targeted not only obvious racial slurs but targeted appearance and stereotypes of criminality, it went far beyond lashing out at a broken relationship."
Phillips was sentenced to 71 days' custody.
He was also made subject to a 2-year restraining order, which prohibits him from making contact with Ms Ryan or Mr Gobin except through lawyers.
Phillips is currently suspended from work, but will now face dismissal. The Professional Standards Department will be in touch with him in due course.
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