Sickening text messages show senior cops JOKING about Sarah Everard’s killer Wayne Couzens
SICKENING text messages have revealed how senior cops JOKED about Sarah Everard's killer PC Wayne Couzens.
Sergeant Simon Kempton, 43, is said to have told a group chat "inappropriate" details and "gossiped" as other colleagues joked about the case.
Another colleague, PC Alex Duncan, the national secretary for the Federation, replied with a message stating that Couzens "will try and top himself before he goes to trial" in the group chat.
Sgt Kempton, who has been in the police for 22 years, faces gross misconduct charges for disclosing sensitive information about Couzens's initial line of defence.
The 43-year-old Dorset Police officer started the chat on the social media app Signal by sharing "highly confidential" details of the case.
In the texts, Sgt Kempton explained Couzens claimed he had underpaid a prostitute and a gang of Eastern Europeans had threatened his family.
He tells his colleagues that the gang ordered Couzens to deliver them a girl - Sarah Everard - who was alive when he handed her over.
At the time, the hearing was subject to strict reporting restrictions as criminal proceedings were active - and none of this information was known to the public.
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But Sgt Kempton claimed that it was important that other Federation members of the 'Executive' group chat were made aware of the line.
As Couzens was a Federation member, they didn't want to inadvertently fund his defence since he had admitted kidnap at that time.
Sgt Kempton said today that he regretted sending the messages - but denied it was being disrespectful to Ms Everard and her family.
Giving evidence, Sgt Kempton said there were multiple discussions among the group about Ms Everard and Couzens in the days leading up to these messages.
He said there was a "huge amount of shock and horror and concern of ramifications for the police service."
The transcript of the messages, shared in the Signal eight-person group, was shown during Sgt Kempton's misconduct hearing.
In the texts, Sgt Kempton wrote: "He said he used prostitutes and took one to a travel lodge-type place in Folkestone. He underpaid her and so his family were being threatened by the gang.
SHOCKING TEXTS
"They said 'well you better get us another girl then'. So he went and found Sarah and took her to a layby in Kent where a Mercedes Sprinter on Romanian plates flashed him.
"He handed her over and didn't see her again. Except he was seen on CCTV in B&Q and bought two builders' bags. No comment after they found the body and interviewed him."
Che Donald, the national vice-chairman of the Federation, then replied: "He's better off blaming it on the fact he is ginger" - which received two laughing emojis in response.
And PC Alex Duncan joked that Couzens "had suffered a nasty bang to his head, which might explain why he thought that excuse would fly."
Another colleague responded: "The old 'slipped and fell', the next thing I knew..'"
Speaking today, Sgt Kempton said: "This was almost unprecedented, we talked about how we can play our part in bolstering confidence, whether we needed to have any lines prepared for the media.
"It was conversational, I regret that in light of where I am sat, but it was a conversational tone.
"He said his messages were factual, repeating what he had been told in an unsolicited call."
His lawyer Ailsa Williams asked Sgt Kempton if he agreed that his messages showed a lack of courtesy - he said it was 'hurtful' to suggest he showed a lack of respect to the Everard family.
He said: "I do not agree. I was essentially repeating what Wayne Couzens has said.
"My motivation on the night was primarily to protect the reputation of policing but also to make sure we didn't put out a press release that might cause distress to the Everard family or other members of the public."
PC Duncan reported Sgt Kempton's messages to the Metropolitan Police because he did not know where the information had come from at the time and was concerned there might be a leak within the force.
But he defended Sgt Kempton for posting the information, saying: "I made an assumption at the time it had been obtained through gossip and it was wholly inappropriate.
'DISRESPECTED SARAH'S DEATH'
"Now knowing where it had come from, I believe he was right to do with that what he did."
Sgt Kempton is accused of gross misconduct for breaching the appropriate standards and discrediting the police force.
Mark Ley-Morgan, barrister acting for Dorset Police, said the exchange of messages were "sarcastic, disparaging and cynical that disrespected the death of Sarah Everard."
Mr Ley-Morgan said: "Was the officer sharing information with the Executive group for a justifiable reason or was he just gossiping?
"We would say he had come into this information and he couldn't wait to share it with the group even though they didn't need to know.
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"He had no reason to share the information. The question is what should he have done once he was in possession of that information. He should have kept it to himself."
Sgt Kempton denies the charges against him. The misconduct hearing is due to conclude by Friday.