A police officer dismissed revellers said to have been causing trouble during Eid celebrations in Manchester as 'smelly P*** c***s', a disciplinary hearing has been told.
PC Aaron Jones sent the comment to his girlfriend, fellow police officer Rebekah Kelly, during an exchange on WhatsApp after violence erupted on Manchester's Curry Mile in August 2018, it was said.
PC Kelly was said to have described those causing trouble as 'absolute d***heads the lot of them' during the exchange.
Jones was banned from the police force last year after he was caught dealing steroids but today his girlfriend PC Kelly appeared at a disciplinary hearing where she denies gross misconduct.
The tribunal heard at least six 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'.
Among them was PC Aaron Jones who was banned from policing following a disciplinary hearing in December last year.
Today's disciplinary hearing was told PC Kelly, who joined the force as a cop in 2016 having previously worked as a civilian investigative assistant, is accused of failing to challenge her boyfriend when he made a reference to 'smelly P**i c***s' during a WhatsApp exchange in August 2018 following alleged disorder at Eid celebrations on Manchester's Wilmslow Road.
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."
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.
On another occasion, PC Jones is said to have sent his girlfriend a video of the Lithuanian man allegedly being mocked by an officer, a video in which PC Jones appears alongside the other cop.
Responding to the video, PC Kelly is said to have replied 'hahaaa' and added that the other cop didn't appear to understand Polish, before her boyfriend corrected her and said the language was Lithuanian.
Giving evidence, PC Kelly told the hearing she started dating PC Jones in October 2016 but that they briefly split up after he was arrested in February 2019.
However, she went on that after he had suffered a 'mental health breakdown' the relationship resumed even though she discovered he had been involved in a long-term affair.
PC Kelly said she was not a member of 'The Dispensables' WhatsApp group and only learned about it when she received paperwork about the disciplinary action being mounted against her.
Asked by her lawyer, James Bourne-Arton, if the material she read reflected the boyfriend she knew, she replied: "No, not at all." She said she had never seen her partner show signs of racism, homophobia or sexism before.
She said she was 'absolutely mortified' when she discovered the messages being exchanged on The Dispensables group, but she added now her partner 'was a changed person' having 'lost everything'.
PC Kelly explained the 'smelly P**i c****s' message her partner had sent her came after she had responded to reports of trouble during the Eid celebrations on Wilmslow Road when cars had been 'overturned', items had been set alight and officers had been 'attacked'.
She said officers had been warned to 'kit up' in their riot gear and that when trouble broke out some cops had pressed their panic buttons.
"It was terrifying. I remember being pretty scared," said PC Kelly.
The officer, asked what she meant when she commented on 'absolute d***heads the lot of them', said she was referring to 'the behaviour of members of the public'.
PC Kelly said she had never known her partner to refer to 'smelly P**i c***s' before and that she considered it 'absolutely disgusting'.
The officer conceded she did not challenge her partner about the reference during the messages but she said she rowed with PC Jones about it the following morning as she considered it a 'racist term'. She said she had never known him use the phrase before and that she was 'shocked and disgusted'.
She said she told her partner 'that's not right' and that she 'didn't have those views'.
Asked about the 'go back home' comment she alleged another officer had made during the exchange, PC Kelly said: "It was what the officer was saying."
She conceded the monkey emojis she posted 'look bad' but she said it was merely to express shock.
Asked about the video sent to her showing the 'mocking' of a Lithuanian man, PC Kelly admitted it was 'difficult to watch', adding: "As an officer you are there to help members of the public especially someone with a language barrier... It's disgusting. Officers were mocking that individual."
She said she had spoken to her partner about the clip and that he had assured her there was 'no offence caused'.
PC Kelly repeatedly denied lying when cross-examined by Matthew Holdcroft for GMP. She insisted her 'absolute d***heads' comment had been addressed to 'everybody involved in the violent disorder, not Asians out celebrating Eid.
She agreed it was a 'heat of the moment' comment she should not have made.
Another member of the WhatsApp group, former PC Ashley Feest, today admitted breaching standards of behaviour expected in policing concerning 'respect and courtesy' and 'equality and diversity'.
He joined the force in May 2017 but was a member of the WhatsApp group, according to Mr Holdcroft, representing the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police.
Former PC Feest was also a member of the group, and had referenced the 'illicit use of drugs' during the chat, the hearing was told.
During conversations, the officer repeatedly referenced drug use, used phrases such as 'a few cheeky lines' and shared a racist joke, it was alleged. Feest also exchanged messages about drugs with PC Jones away from the group. A random drugs test found Feest was positive for steroids, the hearing was told.
Also accused at the hearing, beside former PC Feest and PC Kelly, is a third officer PC Graham Atkinson.
PC Atkinson, the hearing was told, was also a member of the WhatsApp group on which there was racist, sexist and homophobic language although he had not posted it himself'.
One video which was shared, which was played during the tribunal, which showed PC Atkinson making a series of 'non-descript' hand gestures while speaking a 'made up language'. Mr Holdcroft said the officer was 'mocking' a Lithuanian man he was dealing with who was speaking in Lithuanian on the phone inside a house.
PC Atkinson also admitted breaching required standards of professional behaviour, namely breaches of 'respect and courtesy' and 'equality and diversity'.
Former PC Feest and PC Atkinson agreed their conduct amounted to 'gross misconduct'.
Only PC Kelly is contesting the charges against her. She denies charges of breaching professional conduct, namely 'discreditable' behaviour and failing to challenge improper behaviour.
Proceeding
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