A police inspector who posted ‘misogynistic’ messages on social media branding women’ mentalists’ and ‘narcissists’ has been sacked.
Inspector Philip Grimwade served with Nottinghamshire Police for more than 26 years before two women filed complaints about his online behaviour earlier in January and April this year.
Ex-Met officer Alice Vinten and activist Patsy Stevenson said that Mr Grimwade called women, including them, “bats***crazy” in dozens of posts on Twitter. In one tweet he is seen to be saying that Ms Stevenson should be “thrown in the sea at high tide”.
The tweets also included a reply to a 2021 tweet about the policing of the Sarah Everard vigil at which Ms Stevenson was bundled to the ground.
“It made me feel sick,” Ms Stevenson told The Independent. “For someone to say I should be thrown off the pier at high tide - basically saying I should drown or be killed.
“When I found out that comments were made about me, from a serving police officer, in a very vulgar manner, it made me cry. I don’t think I’ve done anything to deserve it, all my activism does is call out behaviour in the police. I’m never nasty, I never insult anyone.”
Ms Stevenson was subject to online abuse after taking part in a protest against the murder of Sarah Everard— (PA)
Bindmans, who legally represented Ms Stevenson. shared a witness impact statement with The Independent in which Ms Stevenson said: “It is difficult to describe how these messages have made me feel; I am devastated.
“Growing up, I trusted the police and believed they were there to serve the public. Behaviour like that of Inspector Grimwade shows that the police are not only abusing their power, but are actively hostile towards vulnerable sections of the population.”
The gross misconduct hearing was chaired by Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police Kate Meynell.
Mr Grimwade admitted gross misconduct and the hearing was told he was deeply remorseful for what he did, but he denied having misogynistic views.
He said he originally set up his Twitter account to shine a light on the good work of the force but had lost focus, perspective and manners over time, according to a statement by Nottinghamshire Police.
Ms Stevenson says she was “devastated” by the online comments— (Patsy Stevenson/Joshua Gibbons)
The hearing found Mr Grimwade breached the standards of professional behaviour, specifically Twitter content relating to discreditable conduct and authority, respect and courtesy.
Ms Vinten told The Independent after the hearing: “I’m really impressed with how seriously Nottinghamshire Police took my complaint.
“They acted quickly to remove this abuse inspector from duty, and thoroughly investigated his sexist and offensive tweets.”
“It was shocking for me to see a senior member of a police force sending abusive tweets and bullying members of the public online.
“In my opinion, if you’re a bully online, then you’re a bully in real life, and we need to ensure that bullies are rooted out of policing at all costs.
“That’s why I made my complaint. I am glad he has been dismissed. Men like him do not deserve to hold a warrant card and he has let his colleagues down - the vast majority of whom are good, hardworking professionals.”
At the hearing, Chief Constable Meynell said: “The officer sent derogatory, offensive, discriminatory and abusive comments on twitter over a period of time from December 2017 until January 2023.
“This is at a time when policing is under considerable national scrutiny through high-profile cases where there has been a failing to prevent or protect women and girls from abuse and violence. His postings directly concerned a woman involved in the Sarah Everard vigil at a time when quite rightly the public were concerned about the attitude of police officers towards women and girls.
“The officer’s conduct was intentional, deliberate and targeted and occurred over a period of years. It was repeated and sustained behaviour.
“It was or should have been apparent to him that this would cause personal distress to the individuals involved and to the reputation of Nottinghamshire Police and wider policing.
“The officer was in a position of responsibility as he was an Inspector. He was a role model to junior officers and staff and he was responsible for setting the standards. In any event, the expectation is that an officer of any rank would not conduct himself in this way.”
Mr Grimwade has been dismissed from Nottinghamshire Police and placed on the Barred List.
