A Metropolitan Police officer and his former colleague have been jailed for 12 weeks for sharing grossly offensive messages in a WhatsApp group with Sarah Everard’s killer – after which bailed forward of an enchantment in opposition to their convictions.
Met constable Jonathon Cobban, 35, and former PC Joel Borders, 45, have been have been discovered responsible of the offences again in September.
The pair have been discovered to be members of a chat group known as “Bottle and Stoppers”, together with Wayne Couzens earlier this 12 months.
Couzens is at present serving a whole-life sentence for the kidnap, rape, and homicide of 33-year-old Ms Everard in March final 12 months, whereas he was working within the police drive.
In the group, Cobban and Borders have been discovered to have swapped messages about tasering kids and other people with disabilities, and which referred to Hounslow as a “Somali s*******” in 2019.
In an change on 5 April that 12 months, Borders wrote: “I can’t wait to get on guns so I can shoot some c*** in the face!”
Cobban responded: “Me too. I want to taser a cat and a dog to see which reacts better. I think the cat will get more p***** off and the dog will s***. I wanna test this theory. Same with children. Zap zap you little f******.”
In the identical month, Borders joked about raping a feminine colleague, who he known as a “sneaky b****”.
District Judge Sarah Turnock jailed Cobban and Borders for 12 weeks, saying she couldn’t consider “more grossly offensive messages” – however bailed the pair forward of an enchantment in opposition to their convictions on the High Court.
“They encapsulated the full range of prejudiced views, racism, misogyny, ableism and homophobia,” the choose mentioned.
“There was no intention on the part of the defendants to cause any harm to the persons to whom these messages relate or the minor groups of society who are undoubtedly effected by these messages,” she continued.
“The persons to whom these messages relate will undoubtedly been caused great distress by knowing police officers find it funny to joke about them in such a deeply offensive manner.”
The choose mentioned the messages “represent jokes specifically targeted or about people or groups as police officers “that they had sworn an oath to guard”.
“Significant hurt has undoubtedly been precipitated to public confidence in policing on account of these offences.”
Source: information.sky.com”