Met policewoman shared offensive WhatsApp message about ‘pretty lesbian’ recruit

A Metropolitan Police officer who shared a highly offensive message about a “pretty lesbian” recruit in a WhatsApp chat with four colleagues would have been sacked had she not resigned. PC Rebecca King’s discussion about the woman with constable Kevin Odongo came to light during an unrelated misconduct investigation. King wrote: “She’s new girl on team. Lesbian. Pretty though”, a disciplinary hearing heard on Friday.

To which PC Odongo replied: “She can get it then” in October 2020. Around 2,962 pages of messages were exchanged by members of the “Not the big bloody group” chat which included King, Odongo, PC Dean Murphy and two others who remains unnamed. Some were sent and received unchallenged after the murder of Sarah Everard by armed Met officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021. In another, King responded to an image a male officer posted of his fingers: “Nice, did she enjoy it?”.

Odongo told the group: “Becks, can’t believe you’ve got a whole boyfriend. All this time I’ve been trying to smash you.”. Murphy - based in Newham and Waltham Forest - accepted messages sent were misogynistic and suggestive of violence towards women and girls. King and Odongo denied gross misconduct and King claimed she had challenged some of the behaviour. But Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor found they had breached standards of professional behaviour in respect of discreditable conduct, authority, respect and courtesy, and challenging and reporting improper conduct.

Describing some texts as being of “the most abhorrent nature”, AC Taylor said: “In the period the WhatsApp group was active, numerous high profile media stories came to light concerning inappropriate WhatsApp groups between police officers, yet, this did not change their behaviour. “Also, Sarah Everard was murdered in March 2021 by a police officer and the reporting on that did not interrupt the messaging in the group.”.

PCs King, Odongo and Murphy were all placed on restricted duties once under investigation. King and Odongo later resigned while Murphy was dismissed without notice. Chief Superintendent Dan Card, responsible for policing the North East Command Unit, said: “These messages were highly offensive and I am appalled and bewildered that the officers found them in any way amusing or gratifying. “Those who hold such views are not fit to serve in the organisation and it is right the panel concluded they should be dismissed with immediate effect.”.