Two cops have left GMP in disgrace following an internal investigation into a 'racist' police WhatsApp group.
PC Rebekah Kelly was yesterday (Wednesday) dismissed without notice while PC Ashley Feest was told he would have been sacked had he not previously resigned and was barred from returning to police work.
A third police officer, PC Graham Atkinson, was handed a final written warning. All three cops were found to have committed gross misconduct.
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The tribunal heard at least six male police officers were members of a police WhatsApp group titled 'The Dispensables' and subtitled 'the gods of north Manchester who risk their lives every day to f*** jobs off'.
Racist and homophobic language was used in chat on the group which was said to be dominated by another officer, PC Aaron Jones, who left the force in disgrace last year.
PC Jones was said to have dismissed troublemakers at Eid celebrations in Manchester's Curry Mile, in August 2018, as 'smelly P*** c***s' in a separate chat with PC Kelly, away from the group, with PC Kelly, his girlfriend.
PC Kelly was said to have described those causing trouble as 'absolute d***heads the lot of them' during the exchange, although the disciplinary panel concluded this was not a racist comment.
PC Aaron Jones was banned from policing following a disciplinary hearing in December last year. A disciplinary panel has now concluded PC Kelly failed to challenge her then boyfriend, now her husband, when he made the racist remark.
Jones was said to have messaged that he and his sergeant had 'nearly locked up' and his girlfriend Kelly, who was named 'Little Pea' on his device, replied: "Did you? They wouldn't leave it would they absolute d***heads the lot of them xxxx."
Jones is said to have replied: "Smelly P**i c***s."
PC Kelly went on that another officer at the scene had 'lost his s**t' and she added: "You would have loved it xxxx."
The other officer was 'wasted' as a neighbourhood cop, PC Jones is said to have responded before his girlfriend replied: "Yeah he really is.... he was telling them to go back home."
The disciplinary panel concluded the 'go back home' comment she had alluded to had 'only one meaning', and was racist.
PC Kelly ended her comment with two emojis of a monkey covering its eyes with its hands, two laughing face emojis and a series of kisses.
PC shared 'racist' meme in group
PC Feest was said to have referenced the illicit use of drugs on the group chat. He had also shared a 'racist' meme about slavery and he was also found to be positive for steroids when he was subject to a random drugs test by the force, the hearing was told.
However, the disciplinary panel decided not to sack PC Atkinson, who originally set up the group for male officers on his shift to arrange nights out and five-a-side football. It was originally called "B2 Soldiers'. He said he had nothing to do with the change of name.
PC Atkinson, like former PC Feest, apologised for his behaviour and pleaded with the panel for mercy. PC Atkinson had failed to challenge racist and homophobic comments on the group although he had not posted any himself or shared inappropriate material, the panel concluded.
The internal investigation had also uncovered mobile phone footage, shot by PC Jones, which showed PC Atkinson mocking a Lithuanian man by appearing to speak a 'made up language'.
The disciplinary panel concluded the video had 'clear racist overtones' although his behaviour lasted only a matter of seconds.
The chair of the panel, Paul Forster, said: "The officers came to the attention of the IOPC in 2019 in the course of an investigation into another officer, PC Jones. His telephone was seized and examined of its contents identified a number of conduct issues both for him and other officers including the three officers in these proceedings."
He noted that although PCs Feest and Atkinson were members of the WhatsApp group, PC Kelly was not.
The panel rejected PC Kelly's claim she had told her then boyfriend the following day his 'smelly P*** c***s' comment was racist.
She also insisted a WhatsApp exchange she had with PC Jones about steroids was 'a joke' and that she never used steroids. She proved negative following a random drug test conducted by the force, the hearing was told. PC Kelly said she knew her boyfriend was a 'big lad who went to the gym' but she was unaware he was taking steroids.
She claimed the chat had been a 'private joke' as she had been nicknamed Ronda Rousey after the WWE wrestler after she had broken her nose while arresting a suspect.
Former PC Feest claimed the chat in the group was 'banter' although he accepted he had used steroids, the hearing was told.
'PC Kelly knew the officer's words were racist'
Mr Foster said 'it was clear the other officers 'deferred to PC Jones because of his seniority in service and demeanour and character', while he was also 'the major partner' in his relationship with PC Kelly.
PC Jones, the hearing was told, had accepted the language captured in the chat was inappropriate but he denied it was racist or homophobic.
The chairman said PC Kelly was 'entitled to be frightened' when she was confronted with violence during Eid celebrations on Manchester's Curry Mile in August 2018.
She began messaging PC Jones while in the back of a van transporting her away from the scene at 4am, the hearing was told.
The panel concluded her 'absolute d***heads the lot of them' comment was 'not racist' or intended to refer to the ethnicity of the crowd. "It was prompted by the situation she found herself in that day," said Mr Forster.
But he went on that her partner responded with 'very definite racism'.
The chair noted that the pair's chat moved to what another officer had said at the scene - PC Kelly had mentioned that this officer was 'telling them to go back home'.
"This has only one meaning. It's a racist comment and clearly about the ethnicity of the crowd. The panel finds that PC Kelly knew and understood the words used by PC Jones and (the other officer) were racist," said Mr Forster
The panel also rejected PC Kelly's claim she had challenged her partner's racist the language the following day. The officer's evidence was 'unreliable', the panel concluded.
The panel also said the video he sent her of PC Atkinson mocking a Lithuanian man had 'clear racist overtones'. Mr Foster said that if, as she has claimed, PC Kelly had previously challenged her partner, he would not have sent her the clip and this 'undermined' her claim to have been 'disgusted' by his language.
It must have been 'immediately apparent' to PC Kelly that the Lithuanian man in the video 'was being treated in an inappropriate and unprofessional way', said Mr Forster.
"PC Kelly obviously saw it as something funny," said Mr Froster, who added the officer was 'remarkably ignorant' about race.
He pointed out that during her evidence, when asked who Steven Lawrence was, she replied he had been killed by police officers. The black teenager had in fact been murdered by two white racist civilians in 1993, a shocking killing which led to huge changes by police forces which were branded 'institutionally racist'.
PC Kelly 'gave the appearance of not being interested in such matters', said Mr Forster.
Her evidence that she didn't know her partner was taking illegal steroids was 'not credible', he said.
'Anyone would be appalled by their behaviour'
Both PCs Feest and Atkinson said the group was private and the chat was 'banter' which did not reflect their views , the hearing was told. The chairman said the pair 'showed disdain' for some of their own colleagues and members of the public.
The two officers, and PC Kellly, had failed to challenge inappropriate behaviour, said Mr Forster, who accepted the three were 'in thrall' to PC Jones.
Mr Foster said: "Any member of the public properly informed about the conduct of PC Feest, PC Atkinson and PC Kelly would be rightly appalled by their discreditable behaviour and their confidence in GMP would be badly damaged."
PC Atkinson told the panel: "I would just like to sincerely apologise to the panel, GMP and the public.... I can completely understand how much damage is done to public confidence and I'm very sorry."
He pointed out he was a probation officer at the time he was captured on mobile phone footage by PC Jones mocking a Lithuanian man in 2018.
He added: "I don't recognise the person I was five years ago... I'm honestly not that person anymore. I have grown as a police officer and a man. I'm not that police officer anymore. I have changed. I'm a good police officer and continue to serve Greater Manchester."
He told the hearing he spent his own money to attend courses on inclusivity.
PC Atkinson said he found the 'muscular' PC Jones, who had been a police officer for three or four years at the time, 'intimidating'.
Asked if he blamed PC Jones for his own conduct, he said: "I'm not blaming anyone what-so-ever, not PC Jones. Everything alleged to have done is on my own and I take full responsibility for that."
But he went on: "There are times I behaved completely out of character in the presence of PC Jones, not that I wanted to. I was intimidated by him and maybe I felt I had to act up to him. Maybe I wasn't confident or brave enough to realise what I was doing. I wish I had. It's a massive regret."
Of the video where he was captured mocking a Lithuanian man, PC Atkinson said he had been called out as the man had had a dispute with a neighbour. He said he had spent 30 or 40 minutes at the house and he pointed out his mocking of the Lithuanian man had lasted no more than five seconds.
PC Atkinson said he had arranged for the man to call 'language line' so a translator could help him, and that he had otherwise provided a 'high level of service' which resolved the neighbour dispute.
He admitted, however, he felt 'ashamed' of his behaviour, adding: "I know I should not have behaved like that. It was completely unprofessional. It's two or three seconds of absolute immaturity and stupidity and I'm really regretful for doing it."
He said he was 'not a racist' but he understood how members of the public might view it. "But that's not what I am. I never have been and never will be," he said.
Asked if he had treated the man differently because of his ethnicity, he replied: "Yes. It was a momentary lapse of professionalism. I wish I hadn't done it."
He pointed out he never shared the video even though he appeared on it.
PC Atkinson said he would 'definitely have been confronted' by PC Jones if he had left the group and was 'too scared' to do so.
Asked why had not acted when PC Jones had called a gay colleague a 'faggot' in the chat, PC Atkinson said: "I wish I had challenged it. That sort of language should never be used in any form or group chat. I wish I had challenged it but I failed to do so. I was not brave enough to so so. It's an absolutely horrendous choice of words."
The disciplinary hearing was told the officer had posted on the group chat 'there's a bounty on on my head in Cheetham Hill just stay close yeah', and that PC Jones had posted: "Black c***s."
PC Atkinson told the hearing the phrase was racist and 'totally unacceptable' but he was worried about the threat to his life. "I'm not a racist what-so-ever," he said.
He accepted he 'almost encouraged' the language by failing to challenge it but he had not meant to encourage it.
Giving evidence, former PC Feest, a father aged 40, frequently appeared to be in tears as he offered an apology to the panel.
He said: "I would like to start by expressing my heartfelt and sincere apology to the panel, the press and the general public. I'm horrified. This has been a nightmare for me for getting on for four years, a nightmare of my own doing. I accept that."
He said he had loved his job and was 'proud' to have been a police officer. He said he had not been a 'stereotypical' user of steroids and had been an 'empathetic' cop.
The former officer detailed a troubled earlier life and that it 'felt good' to be accepted onto his shift and by PC Jones, who was a 'loud and brash character'. The WhatsApp group had been 'full of shop humour and bravado' which he accepted was 'wholly inappropriate'.
A meme he was said to have shared about slavery was 'grossly offensive, upsetting and abhorrent' and based on an 'awful stereotypes', he admitted.
Mr Feest said the meme was 'not representative of my views', adding: "I'm in no way racist and never do I carry any prejudiced views."
He said he had 'shared an inappropriate joke one time'.
Mr Feest said he had taken a course of anabolic steroids 'one time' and had not done so previously. He said he had had 'reservations' at the time, that he had wanted to imitate PC Jones' physique but that it was a 'lapse in my judgment'.
He said he had felt 'anxious' out on patrol particularly when he was crewed with a woman officer as he felt would not be able to protect them.
He concluded: "I'm a good man who has endured a difficult life. I have made a mistake but there's no malice, there was no intent and there was no crime committed. There's no direct victims of my actions."
Matthew Holdcroft, representing the chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, told the panel they had heard evidence of 'conscious racist behaviour' and that all three officers 'have contributed to it' and have 'consciously engaged in racist behaviour'.
The chairman of the panel, Paul Forster, concluded Mr Feest, had he not already resigned, would have been dismissed and that his name will now be added to a list of people barred from working in policing.
He went on the panel had decided not to dismiss PC Atkinson and instead hand him a 'final written warning'. Mr Forster said the panel would publish reasons for deciding to 'distinguish' his case from that of Mr Feest in due course.
Both officers had admitted gross misconduct but argued they should not be sacked.
PC Kelly was 'dismissed without notice', said Mr Forster. She had denied gross misconduct but the panel found against her. She had also argued she should not be sacked.
A tribunal heard other officers have also faced internal disciplinary action, although the chair of the panel ruled these officers could not be named as they were subject to 'private' internal proceedings.
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