West Yorkshire Police officers face misconduct hearing over WhatsApp messages

Eight police officers have appeared at a misconduct hearing accused of exchanging misogynistic, racist and bullying WhatsApp messages.

A panel heard how the Leeds-based West Yorkshire Police officers used “derogatory, offensive and discriminatory language” and shared of photographs of “death scenes”, car crashes, missing people and detainees.

Setting out the case against the five officers and three now former officers, Olivia Checa-Dover told a hearing on Tuesday that they do not deny their involvement in the WhatsApp group.

She said they will argue that “what went on was an expression of dark humour" and "a vehicle through which they would process traumatic experiences".

Ms Checa-Dover said: “The validity of that excuse – or context [...] is the central question.”

She compared the behaviour of the officers to that “routinely suffered by less popular school children” but added this is “usually ironed out in adulthood”.

Serving officers Sgt Mark Otter, PC Dominique Hawkins, PC Javaid Habeeb, PC Luke Riddett, and an officer referred to only as PC X, all deny gross misconduct.

Three other ex-constables – Tom Harrison, Matthew Harrison and Lee Hillyard – also deny gross misconduct but have resigned from the force.

Ms Checa-Dover gave the panel a series of examples from the WhatsApp chat.

'Dark humour or outright racism?'

She said that, when discussing a member of the public referred to as Miss A, PC X posted: “Miss A on a bridge …. jump, jump, jump.”

PC Habeeb joked about a colleague committing suicide, she said.

Ms Checa-Dover said that PC Riddett posted a photo of an Asian detainee with a beard captioned “if you had to draw a terrorist” to which PC Tom Harrison replied “racist”.

When PC Riddett said “no it’s regional”, PC Harrison posted two laughing face emojis.

The barrister asked the panel: “Was this dark humour or outright racism?”

She told the panel that, in one conversation about going to a strip club PC Harrison mentioned a female officer saying: “You gonna strip too?”

The barrister then asked: “Was this a safe place for colleagues to seek support from their peers and provide support, or was it was a platform used to communicate mean-spirited bullying remarks about colleagues deemed not part of the group?”

She said that, in a conversation complaining about a “vulnerability appointment” with a member of the public, PC Riddett said they “probably asking for it anyway”, which the barrister told the panel was “an inappropriate, victim-blaming comment”.

Ms Checa-Dover said that, in a conversation about “naked Uno”, Sgt Otter referred to “bubbles, showing off her rack” and the same officer expressed his regret at having missed the opportunity to “Eiffel Tower” one officer.

She said PC Riddett joked: “It’s not harassment if they say yes. Remember lads, 50 no’s and 1 yes is still a yes”.

Ms Checa-Dover told the panel: “The communications identified demonstrate that offensive and derogatory language was essentially par-for-the-course – not out of necessity to support each other but as part of a culture which saw resort to bullying and ostracisation of those perceived as non-conforming or outside the group as acceptable.”

She said officers also failed to challenge “plainly offensive and discriminatory language and sentiments, which were often misogynistic, racist and, in cases, transphobic".

She added: “Such conduct risks undermining trust between the public and West Yorkshire Police, and the police more generally.”

The misconduct hearing is expected to last two weeks.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.