Met policeman jailed for vile WhatsApp messages sent to ex's new partner

25 August 2023 , 12:43

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PC Tom Phillips was suspended by the Met Police

A Met Police officer who called his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend a "n****r pr**k" and a "m******l s***e" in vile WhatsApp messages has been jailed for 71 days.

Disgraced ex-PC Tom Phillips, of Croydon, south London, pleaded guilty to five counts of sending offensive messages between April 8 2021 and May 8 2021 at Westminster Magistrates' Court on July 27. Appearing at the same court on Friday (August 25) he was locked up and given a two year restraining order.

Prosecutor Louise Oakley explained how Phillips, who worked in MPS Shirley South, and Ms Ryan were in a relationship from around 2017 and stayed together at his house "very quickly". Ms Oakley said: "There were clearly issues with the consumption of alcohol where behaviours would change. And there's suggestions the defendant became arrogant and behaviours that would belittle Ms Ryan."

"It's clear at times [the arguments] were worse than others," she continued. "There were clearly incidents of aggression and arrogance that were the background of this defendant and the deterioration of this relationship. Best summarised in cycles of arguments then normal then arguments then normal, with allegations of domestic abuse."

The relationship eventually ended but the pair remained living together for several months and during the "protracted and acrimonious separation" when Phillips became suspicious of Ms Ryan having a relationship with Mr Gobin, the court heard. Then between April and May 2021 he sent five "grossly offensive" messages to Ms Ryan, the court heard.

Phillips entered court in a hat and mask (PA)

They included one on April 8 2021 which said: "He's Black, you're ginger with a nice arse, he's genetically drawn to you." Then on April 20 he sent a photo with a bunch of roses and a poem labelling Mr Gobin a "m*****l s***e", and another message calling him a "n***er pr**k", the court was told. In another message Phillips wrote: "Have your white little afro babies with big flat noses. Your dad will love that haha." On May 8, Phillips sent the final message: "In your house. He's Black. Why wouldn't he be a thief, he's manipulative enough."

The court heard how the messages were first reported to police months later, then on November 3 2022 Phillips was interviewed under caution. But Phillips denied sending the messages and made a number of wild claims. He said Ms Ryan had manufactured them, or accessed his WhatsApp Web account, or doctored the screenshots, or Mr Gobin had done it, the court heard.

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In her victim impact statement, Samantha Ryan alleged she had been a victim of domestic abuse and had delayed reporting the messages for months due to a fear of reprisal. "From past experiences when I did challenge him it ended in being punched, kicked, slapped, and strangled until I could not breathe," she alleged.

Collins was jailed for 71 days (Tim Merry/Daily Express)

"Tom had previously threatened suicide multiple times to me and I believed he did this to try and control me," she alleged. "I was scared he would use his job as a police officer to turn the blame on me... [I was scared] that I would feel the wrath of Tom physically, emotionally, and in my career." Ms Ryan said she was scared people would not believe her as Tom was also a police officer, and feared he would turn the accusations on her and she would be "blamed for the whole thing". Accusing him of delaying his guilty plea to exert power over her, she added: "He's been trying to get away with it for a very long time."

Phillips smirked and shook his head as PC Danny Gobin gave his victim impact statement, outlining his white Asian background as the son of an Irish mother and Mauritian father. He said: "The word n***er sends a physical shock through my body. Reading this made me feel sick. I associate this word with the slave trade and believe it does not have any place in our society. The fact that a police officer would use this word makes me feel even worse. By using this word he has not only insulted my background but also those that he took an oath to protect. It has left me feeling disgusted."

On the slur 'mongrel', PC Gobin said: "This insult I take as a direct attack against my mother and father who I may add being from different backgrounds in the early 80s suffered great racial abuse." Mr Gobin then described hearing stories of racial abuse, like the use of the p-word against his dad and how his mum was asked 'What colour will it be?' when she fell pregnant, inspired him to become a police officer. "I am sick and tired of the racists that plague my capital and even more disgusted by the ones who plague the Metropolitan Police," he added.

Phillips was not on duty when he sent the messages

Phillips was suspended from the force

Mr Gobin said he had hidden the abuse from his mum, and that his dad, who died in 2016, would "turn in his grave" if he knew about it. "That a serving police officer would use this phrase has really made me doubt the service I work for," he added. "[The word spade] again made me feel physically sick and has had a huge impact on my mental health," Mr Gobin said. "Disgusting and abhorrent would best describe anyone who would use this word and has really left me shocked."

"He's Black, you're ginger with a nice arse, he's genetically drawn to it - I again just don't know what to say about this phrase. It has left me in disbelief," Mr Gobin said. "This has left me well and truly scarred. The damage that these comments to to the service is unrepairable and gives good officers a bad name, it also makes our work harder when out there on the frontline."

Defending Colin Banham said his client had shown "genuine" remorse and the reason for his late guilty plea was "Possibly Mr Phillips was a little bit in denial". He argued Phillips had no previous convictions, was a man of good character, three years had passed since the incident, and he was in a "very happy relationship" with a new girlfriend.

Phillips worked in MPS Shirley South

Giving context for the messages, Mr Banham said: "[Mr Phillips] believed that his whole world was falling apart and his partner was having an affair behind his back." He added that a prison sentence would "destroy him" due to the treatment of police officers by the general prison population and the impact on his job prospects.

Judge Louisa Cieciora considered the mitigation but concluded Phillips had no realistic prospect of rehabilitation, citing a probation report that said Phillips harboured "core beliefs of racial hatred as well as misogyny". She added: "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."

Judge Cieciora also ordered a restraining order preventing Phillips from contacting Ms Ryan for two years. He will serve half his prison sentence on license. The officer, who was been part of the force's intelligence branch, was off-duty when the offences occurred. He was sentenced at the same court on Friday (August 25). His offences are being investigated by the Met Police’s directorate of professional standards.

Callum Cuddeford