Met Police officers 'joked about Harvey Price's weight and child sex killers'
A former Metropolitan Police officer made derogatory comments about Katie Price’s son in a WhatsApp group with other officers which contained sustained discriminatory content, a misconduct hearing has heard.
It is alleged that eight serving and former officers used a WhatsApp group, entitled “Secret Squirrel S**t”, between May 2016 and June 2018 to post comments that were sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic and “applauded sexual violence against women”.
The hearing comes as Ms Price says she feels betrayed by the scandal-hit Metropolitan Police, after officers were accused of using a WhatsApp group to exchange jibes about brave Harvey, 20, who has severe disabilities.
A hearing has heard how the 'WhatsApp group chat posted inappropriate and derogatory images of Harvey Price' and used slurs to describe disabled people - in addition to making anti-Semitic jokes and other vile comments.
Katie Price with her eldest son Harvey who has a condition called Prader-Willi Syndrome (BBC/Minnow Films/Richard Ansett)Another conversation, unrelated to Ms Price and her family, allegedly saw the group chat to discuss an officer who they claim 'once got away with rape' - describing him as 'a legend'.
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Former Ps Luke Thomas, former acting Ps Luke Allen, former Pc Kelsey Buchan, former Pc Carlo Francisco, former Pc Lee South, former Pc Darren Jenner, Pc Glynn Rees, and Officer B, who has been granted anonymity, faced a gross misconduct hearing at Empress State Building in Fulham, west London, on Tuesday.
All eight officers are subject to three allegations and are said to have breached standards of professional behaviour in relation to equality and diversity, authority, respect and courtesy, challenging and reporting improper conduct and discreditable conduct.
'These are the people who are supposed to be protecting us, people we are supposed to trust,' Ms Price told the Mirror over the weekendThe first allegation concerns comments and posts made by officers in the WhatsApp group, the second relates to comments about a female colleague, Officer A, and the third is in relation to the officers failing to report the content.
Thomas, who was the highest ranking officer in the WhatsApp group, faces an additional allegation of failing to adequately supervise his team and legitimising the “derisory chat” as team sergeant.
As a result, he is further accused of breaching standards of professional behaviour in relation to duties and responsibilities.
Only Rees and Officer B attended the hearing on Tuesday.
Daniel Hobbs, representing the police, detailed specific comments made by Thomas, the most senior officer at the time.
Thomas made several posts about Ms Price’s son HarveyThe former sergeant accepted the comments he made were forms of misconduct that accumulatively amounted to gross misconduct, the panel heard.
Dan Hobbs, representing the relevant authority, said at the hearing: "Luke Thomas made comments in relation to Harvey Price, the mixed-heritage disabled son of Katie Price.
"He said: "For a c* that can't see, he can find his way to the fridge and biscuit jar without difficulty.
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"Without further comment it is self-explanatory how this is discriminatory.
"He posts various pictures of Harvey Price into the WhatsApp group including the caption "hello you c--t" as the officer's attempt at humour."
'It’s pure betrayal. I was in shock at first, then I felt sick, heartbroken and angry,' Ms Price previously told the Mirror (katieprice/Instagram)Thomas made several posts about Ms Price’s son Harvey, who suffers from Prader–Willi syndrome and autism.
The 44-year-old model and TV personality shared an image of a letter detailing the misconduct on her Instagram story on Friday.
In the letter, which was addressed to Price and dated January 26, an investigator from the Discrimination Investigation Unit within the Professional Standards Department of the Met Police informed her that “a number of Metropolitan Police officers are alleged to have breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour in regards to Discreditable Conduct for being part of a WhatsApp group chat that has posted inappropriate and derogatory images of your son, Harvey Price”.
The disciplinary panel heard that Thomas referred to Harvey in the WhatsApp group and mocked his weight.
Mr Hobbs further detailed comments Thomas made about Officer A, a junior female officer who was assigned to their team for a period of time, calling her “f****** ugly”.
Ms Price is protective of her eldest child (Channel 4)Thomas also referred to Officer A as “it”, the panel heard.
In a separate conversation, Thomas suggested to the WhatsApp group that he name his dog “Auschwitz”, “Adolf” or “Fred” or “Ian” after “my two favourite child sex killers”.
In response to the comments, the panel heard that Thomas acknowledged that they were inappropriate.
Mr Hobbs also outlined comments made in the WhatsApp group in general.
At the hearing, officers allegedly referred to disabled people as “r**ards” and “sp**tics” and called wheelchairs “m**g scooters”.
In another conversation, one of the officers referred to a male police officer who “once got away with rape” and said he was “a legend in my eyes”, the panel heard.
Mr Hobbs said the officers fostered a “toxic, abhorrent culture” and that their actions are so serious as to justify dismissal.
Three former officers – Thomas, Allen and South admit gross misconduct for all allegations.
Former officer Francisco admits gross misconduct for the first allegation and misconduct for the other two.
Serving officer Rees and former officer Buchan admit misconduct for all allegations.
Officer B denies the first allegation and admits misconduct for the second and third allegation.
Former PC Jenner has not engaged with the misconduct hearing and the police have taken that to mean he does not admit either misconduct nor gross misconduct.
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