LAST UPDATE | 31 Jul 2025

A PSNI OFFICER has been dismissed for sending WhatsApp messages which contained material that was sectarian, racist, homophobic, antisemitic, misogynistic and sexualised.

A complainant contacted Northern Ireland’s Police Ombudsman when the officer continued to send the material, despite having been asked to stop on two occasions.

The Police Ombudsman received the complaint about the police officer in July 2023.

Nikki Davis, Director of Investigations with the Police Ombudsman’s Office, said that a digital analysis of the officer’s phone showed that he had sent multiple images and videos, “which were highly inappropriate and offensive, to the complainant, other members of the public and other police officers”.

Davis said that this was not a “one-off, isolated incident, which could potentially be attributed to a lapse in judgement”.

“It was sustained, consistent behaviour, exacerbated by the police officer’s view, when interviewed by our investigators, that he did not consider the material to be offensive or his actions to be in breach of the PSNI Code of Ethics,” said Davis.

She added that some of the messages “combined sexual, racist and sectarian references” which moved it “into the realm of online gender-based hate speech”.

“For a police officer to display these attitudes and behaviours towards women, is unacceptable, and specifically undermines the PSNI’s commitment to ending violence against women and girls,” said Davis.

She added that that case demonstrates that allegations of misconduct will be “robustly investigated and that officers will be held to account”.

Following the conclusion of the Police Ombudsman investigation, a file was submitted to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in relation to the potential offences of Misconduct in Public Office and sending grossly offensive messages contrary to the Communications Act.

The PPS directed no prosecution.

A misconduct file was then submitted to the PSNI Professional Standards Department and after a special hearing held by the Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, the officer was dismissed.

The officer was found to have breached a number of articles of the PSNI Code of Ethics and was deemed to have acted “in a way that is likely to bring discredit upon the Police Service”.

He also breached equality and integrity articles within the PSNI’s code of ethics.

Meanwhile, eight officers who received the messages were referred to the PSNI for potential breaches of the code of ethics for failing to report or challenge them.

PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the “robust actions show that we will not tolerate this damaging and unprofessional behaviour – there is no excuse”.

He said the “messages repeatedly shared by this former constable were shocking, wholly inappropriate and discriminatory”.

He added that officers who received the messages and failed to report or challenge them were subject to management action.

He added that a further three officers were dismissed without notice in recent months in similar circumstances following “wholly inappropriate material being shared amongst groups”.

“If the public is to have confidence that we will police without prejudice and fairly, it is essential that just as we pursue perpetrators in our communities, we are as committed to rooting out those that may be in our own ranks,” said Boutcher.