- Sukhdev Jeer and Paul Hefford have been dismissed for making racist remarks on Meghan Markle
- Jeer had previously told the tribunal he was “not in a good place” and had used the language to cope with the issues
- Chairman Maurice Cohen said they were highly corrosive and discriminatory to members of the public
Sukhdev Jeer and Paul Hefford, both of Indian origin and reportedly assigned to Forensic Services in the Metropolitan Police, have been fired for making “abhorrent” remarks in a group chat, including a racist joke about Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle.
According to the tribunal, both officers sent the messages on WhatsApp in 2018, before Meghan married Prince Harry. It was determined that they had engaged in gross misconduct.
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Chairman Maurice Cohen said they were “highly corrosive and discriminatory” to members of the public “including those in the local community” they served.
“The postings in this group caused serious reputational damage to the Metropolitan Police as a whole,” Cohen said at an earlier hearing.
He added that the content was posted over an “extended period of time” and that the officers should have been aware of their “unacceptable nature”.
Jeer had previously told the tribunal he was “not in a good place” and had used the language to cope with the “issues” he had been experiencing.
Barrister Ben Summers had argued he should not be dismissed over a “handful of inappropriate jokes” which caused “limited harm” and said he should receive a warning instead of being sacked.
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Michael Shaw, representing PC Hefford, said the officer found his posts “embarrassing and difficult” and had learned a “sad lesson”.
Vishal, representing the Met, said: “The panel has found the postings were abhorrent and discriminatory in nature and the damage it has done to public confidence is substantial and far-reaching.”
Vishal also said “trust once lost is not easily regained”, adding the men’s dismissal was required to maintain public confidence in the force.
