Met officer sacked over racist and sexist messages

The head of the Met's Black Police Association (MBPA) has been dismissed for gross misconduct over a group chat with a former officer in which racist, sexist and inappropriate messages were sent and received.

Insp Charles Ehikioya was in the WhatsApp chat with former officer Carlo Francisco where the offensive messages were shared.

The officer had denied the allegations against him and said the claims were fabricated or falsely attributed to him because of his race or position as chair of the MBPA.

A panel hearing evidence this week found his conduct amounted to a breach of the standards of professional behaviour.

Led by Cdr Jason Prins, the panel found Insp Ehikioya breached standards in respect of equality and diversity, discreditable conduct and challenging and reporting improper conduct.

After a break for the panel to consider sanctions, Cdr Prins said the "appropriate and proportionate sanction" was dismissal without notice.

In more than 7,000 messages between 2017 and 2020, the officer was said to have sent and received jokes, pictures and videos, it was heard previously.

He sent an image of the late Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, with the comment "message from the other side, tell the Muslims there's no 72 virgins left".

There was also a series of racist messages about Chinese people, the hearing was told.

Jokes about sex with a girl with Down's syndrome, and mockery of the late Duke of Edinburgh's car crash, were also in the chatlog, as was a video in which there was a child with a naked bottom, the panel heard.

On 1 April 2019, Insp Ehikioya allegedly warned Mr Francisco to "stop sending or receiving these silly porns", saying he could get into trouble.

The hearing was told that Mr Francisco replied: "I personally trust everyone I share something with... but sorry Charles I have to stop sharing with you now."

This was followed by two smiley faces and a later post saying "April fool ma brother ohh".

Cdr Prins said the panel "found that Inspector Ehikioya has engaged in racist, sexist, misogynistic and otherwise inappropriate behaviour".

He added: "The panel finds to a large extent that the messages speak for themselves."

He also said they found his defence of the allegations to be "fanciful" and "far-fetched".

Cdr Prins said: "The panel found that the messages sent by Insp Ehikioya or received by him, which he failed to challenge or report, deeply damage public confidence in the police service."

Mr Francisco was in a separate group chat in which Insp Ehikioya was the subject of racism from colleagues, including references to chains, wicker baskets and cotton-picking, the hearing was told earlier this week.

Nicholas Yeo, representing Insp Ehikioya, said in his closing argument that the terms were "intrinsically linked" to slavery in the US in the 1800s.

He went on: "PC Francisco may not have been motivated in a way, in terms of a strict motivation, but it is quite clear that he was part of a vile, racist group that wanted to do the officer (Insp Ehikioya) great harm for no reason other than his race."

In 2023, Mr Francisco was separately found to have committed gross misconduct over the messages shared in that group, along with seven others.

He was dismissed in July 2022 for an unrelated matter involving discreditable conduct, the Met said.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]