A serving Metropolitan Police officer and two former officers have been found guilty of gross misconduct after sharing inappropriate and offensive messages in a group chat. As a result, one officer has been dismissed without notice, while the two former officers would have faced the same penalty had they still been serving.
PC Dean Murphy, who was stationed at the North East Command Unit, appeared before a misconduct hearing on Friday, 31 January. The panel concluded that he had breached the police’s standards of professional behaviour, including discreditable conduct, respect and courtesy, and failure to report improper conduct.
Murphy, along with former officers PC Rebecca King and PC Kevin Odongo, was involved in sharing offensive and inappropriate messages between 1 September 2020 and 16 September 2021 via a WhatsApp group chat. The messages, which included offensive and discriminatory content, were exchanged among the three officers, who failed to challenge each other on the inappropriate nature of the communication.
The misconduct was uncovered during an unrelated investigation involving another former officer. It was revealed that Murphy, King, and Odongo, who had all worked in the same command unit, were part of the group chat.
As part of the disciplinary process, PC Murphy was placed on restricted duties before the investigation concluded. He was subsequently dismissed without notice. Former PCs King and Odongo resigned from the force during the investigation.
Chief Superintendent Dan Card, who is responsible for policing the North East Command Unit, expressed his outrage over the officers’ conduct. He stated: “These messages were highly offensive, and I am appalled and bewildered that these officers found them amusing or gratifying. Those who hold such views are not fit to serve in this organisation, and it is right that the panel concluded they should be dismissed immediately.”
As a result of their misconduct, all three officers will be added to the College of Policing’s barred list, meaning they are permanently prohibited from being employed by any police forces, local policing bodies, or related organisations, including the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
This incident highlights the continuing commitment of the Metropolitan Police to uphold high standards of conduct and accountability within its ranks.
