Five former Metropolitan police officers have admitted to sending offensive racist messages on WhatsApp, targeting British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the late Queen Elizabeth II, as well as Prince Harry’s wife, among others. These messages were exchanged between 2020 and 2022. The officers, all in their 60s, were apprehended following a BBC investigation that triggered an internal police inquiry.
The charges against these former members of London’s Metropolitan Police Department were addressed at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Thursday. The messages in question contained derogatory comments about Indian-origin politicians such as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, former Home Secretary Priti Patel, and Prince Harry and his wife, among others.
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Robert Lewis, Peter Booth, Anthony Elsom, Alan Hall, and Trevor Lewton had all served in the force’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection branch. According to the force, these individuals were no longer police officers when they exchanged these offensive messages. Meanwhile, a sixth former Met Police officer, Michael Chadwell, denied the charges and is scheduled to face trial on November 6.
Regarding the charges, the accused individuals have been charged under Section 127(1) of the UK’s Communications Act 2003.
