A serving Metropolitan Police officer and a former colleague have been found guilty of sending grossly offensive misogynistic and racist messages in a WhatsApp group with Sarah Everard’s killer.
Met constables William Neville, 34, and Jonathon Cobban, 35, and former PC Joel Borders, 45, were members of the chat called “Bottle and Stoppers” along with Wayne Couzens.
Neville was cleared of sending grossly offensive messages but his two colleagues were convicted on Wednesday following a trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in July.
The court heard that on 5 April 2019, Cobban and Borders swapped comments about tasering children, animals and “downys”, a term used by Borders that the prosecution argued referred to people with Down’s syndrome.
Before delivering a judgment on Wednesday, Judge Sarah Turnock said it was “abhorrent” that Borders “demonstrates an ablest attitude by then adding a disabled person to Cobban’s disgusting list of victims”.
“I can honestly say that I consider it to be sickening to think of a police officer joking about using firearms in this way,” she added.
Related posts:
Greggs swings to first annual loss since 1984 but says it’s well placed for recovery from pandemic
‘Right to die’ campaigner had ‘no alternative’ but to remove ventilator to end his life
UK reports 34,471 new COVID cases and six more deaths
GCSE and A-level students could be told what is on their exam papers in advance
Pig farmer fears he may have to destroy 80 animals a week due to butcher shortage
Family launch appeal to find father-of-two a stem cell donor as registrations decrease during pandemic
13 people injured after mezzanine floor collapses in bar
Teenager charged with murder after death of 18-year-old in stabbing
Helplines for patients after doctor arrested on suspicion of sexual assault
Murder arrest after man dies following fight with another hospital patient
Sarah Everard killer Wayne Couzens charged with four counts of indecent exposure
Boris Johnson confident of winning second term as PM – and eyeing up third
