Inappropriate WhatsApp messages sent by police officers - Metropolitan Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary, Norfolk Constabulary

Read information about our investigation into discriminatory and inappropriate messages sent in a WhatsApp group.

In April 2021, we forensically examined a phone that belonged to former PC Wayne Couzens following his arrest for the kidnap, rape and murder of Ms Sarah Everard. We identified a WhatsApp group which contained six other members, all of whom were police officers. Upon conclusion of our investigation in December 2021, we found a case to answer for gross misconduct for all six officers.

In December 2022, at a gross misconduct hearing organised by the MPS, an independently chaired disciplinary panel found the cases proven against MPS PC Gary Bailey and Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) PC Matthew Forster; former MPS PCs Joel Borders, Jonathon Cobban, and William Neville; and former Norfolk Constabulary PC Daniel Comfort.

A file of evidence was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service which led to former PCs Borders and Cobban being convicted of sending grossly offensive messages under the Communications Act (2003). They were given 12-week custodial sentences in November 2022 but were bailed pending an appeal.

Our final investigation report is available to download from this page.