Two Met Police officers who took vile photos of two murdered sisters they called ‘dead birds’ also sent racist WhatsApp messages about a new patrol area having no ‘p***s’.
PC Jamie Lewis, 33, and PC Deniz Jaffer, 47, admitted this month to taking and sharing images of the scene where sisters Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, were murdered in June last year. Both were found guilty by a disciplinary panel of gross misconduct.
It has now emerged the officers also made racist remarks and used the term ‘p***s’ in a WhatsApp exchanged about a separate matter.
PC Helen Tierney, representing Cressida Dick, told the panel: ‘PC Jaffer used the term ‘p***s’ in a message to members of the public.
“He used this term twice to refer to Asian men in conversation in WhatsApp about a unrelated matter of public order in which members of the general public were also present.
She added, according to the Times: ‘Lewis responded with approval to another officer’s use of the word when talking about the benefits of moving somewhere else for work. The officer said ‘on the plus side, no p***s’ and PC Lewis responded ”exactly”.’
PC Jaffer, 47 years old, was charged over these photos with misconduct in office.
After pleading guilty for misconduct in public office, Pc Jamie Lewis has left the Old Bailey
Lewis and Jaffer refused to turn up to their tribunal yesterday at the Met’s Empress Building in west London, but were found guilty of gross misconduct by Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball.
Both of them have admitted previously to sharing and taking photographs of women in court. They will be sentenced at December 6
Ms Ball said: ‘This was hurtful, dishonest and unprofessional behaviour of the utmost seriousness.
“I’m sorry our officers behaved so hurtfully, disrespectfully and criminally. It is shameful.
Lewis will immediately be removed from the Metropolitan Police, while Jaffer who is already out of the force would have been fired without notice, if he were still an officer in the Metropolitan Police.
Hearing was held to hear that both the officers had left the perimeter they were instructed to secure and taken pictures of the dead sisters’ bodies.
After the murder of the sisters in Fryent Country Park, Wembley (north-west London), Jaffer and Lewis were stabbed to death, Jaffer was supposed to guard the scene.
They instead broke the cordon to take inappropriate and unauthorised photos of bodies. The photographs were then sent to a dentist, doctor, and a WhatsApp Group.
Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, who were stabbed to death in Wembley last year
Mina Henry, Ms Smallman’s mother who has lost her children to Ms Henry, criticized the Met Commissioner’s unprofessional investigation into the deaths of her daughters.
Jaffer took four photos and Lewis two. One was sent to Lewis by a female colleague, with Lewis’s face added onto it.
The IOPC, a police watchdog, later discovered that Lewis used ‘degrading language’ in his description of victims within the WhatsApp group consisting 42 coworkers.
An earlier in the month, Dame Cressida Dick apologized for the incident.
Mina Henry, the mother of Ms Smallman and Ms Henry, was furious at the Met Commissioner’s inept investigation into her daughters deaths.
She criticized her for “Her poor behavior and her reply since this all has been out” adding, “She hasn’t contacted us to tell me I’m really sorry.” This story has been largely unreported by her.
Ms. Smallman claimed that the Met was beyond hope, saying: ‘You go to London in order to preside over the funeral of your children. But you are then told that some officers meant to protect the area have actually taken selfies. They sent them out for a dentist, doctor and WhatsApp group.
After their guilty pleas were accepted, the Met announced that they would take ‘immediate actions’ to remove former PC Jaffer and PC Lewis from the Met, which has already resigned.
Artist impression of PC Jamie Lewis & PC Deniz Jaffer, appearing at Old Bailey this Month
Dick, Met Commissioner: “I regret deeply that when they were grieving for the loss of loved ones taken in such terrible circumstances, they had to face additional distress due to the actions of two officers.
“What ex-PC Jaffer and current PC Lewis did on that particular day was totally unprofessional, disrespectful, insensitive and completely unacceptable. This is what I understand from colleagues at the Met, who strongly condemn it.
They have pleaded guilty today for a grave criminal offense and they will receive sentencing.
Bibaa’s and Nicole’s families were sincerely sorry for their mistakes in June 2013. I apologize again today on behalf of The Met.
‘Now that the judicial process has got to this stage, we are able to take the officers through an accelerated misconduct process.’
Jaffer (47), from Hornchurch in east London and Lewis (33) from Colchester, Essex were arrested during a criminal investigation conducted by the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
They were charged that they ‘without authorization entered a crime site he was assigned to protect’, and sent information to the public via WhatsApp regarding his attendance to the scene.
Mina Smallman (the mother of the sisters) sat at the courthouse for the hearing, and she has called the officers ‘despicable.
Paul Goddard of the CPS said in court: “Pc Jamie Lewis, and Pc Deniz Jacob’s senseless behaviour fell well below what can be expected from officers.
Murderer: Danyal Hussein, 19, who killed sisters Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, seen here in his police mugshot
Mina Smallman (mother of both victims) watches as Danyalhussein enters the Old Bailey dock. There he will try to intimidate, provoke, and threaten her. Her refusal was refused, and she smiled and winked back
“These officers had the responsibility of protecting a crime scene.
“But they instead violated it to their own ends, without regard for the dignity of victims or the damage they may do to a criminal investigation into murder.
“Their insensitive and thoughtless actions no doubt caused more distress and pain for the devastated family and friends Nicole Smallman, Bibaa Henry and their families who are already reeling after the tragic loss of their loved one. They are in our thoughts and prayers.
Both were attached to the Met’s North East command center unit and both were taken off duty after their arrests June 22, last year.
Jaffer of Hornchurch in east London and Lewis from Colchester, Essex are both on unconditional bail