Allegations of sending grossly offensive messages - West Mercia Police

Read information here about our investigation into allegations of two West Mercia Police officers sending grossly offensive messages on WhatsApp in May and June 2020. Our investigation began in June 2020 following a referral from the force and concluded in April 2021. The two officers have been charged with offences under S.127 of the Communications Act 2003.

**Update 14 June 2022 - former PC James Watts was today sentenced to 20 weeks' imprisonment at Birmingham Magistrates' Court. He pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sending a grossly offensive or menacing message via a public communication network at an earlier hearing. See release for statement from IOPC regional director, Derrick Campbell.

**Update 23 August 2022 - PC Jinks, 41, was formally acquitted at the outset of her trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court today after the deputy chief magistrate found that the requisition to attend court was laid outside the six month time limit for these offences. At the conclusion of our investigation we decided PC Jinks has a disciplinary case to answer for gross misconduct for potential breaches of police standards of professional behaviour relating to authority respect and courtesy, equality and diversity, and conduct. It will now be for the force to take forward disciplinary proceedings.