Overview
- On Wednesday a judge at the Old Bailey sentenced Paul Street to four years in prison after jurors convicted him of two counts of misconduct in public office.
- Prosecutors showed WhatsApp messages in which Street encouraged colleagues to bully and threaten a 17-year-old detainee and asked officers about intimate images found on a female suspect’s phone.
- Former PC Josh Williams earlier pleaded guilty to misconduct for sharing a private image and was sentenced to 16 months in prison for his role.
- An IOPC investigation opened in 2021 after a whistleblower uncovered WhatsApp groups and led to disciplinary or performance procedures for 13 officers, including resignations, a gross-misconduct dismissal, formal warnings, and performance measures.
- Street’s prior TV profile and the judge’s warning about harm to public confidence have focused attention on oversight, and the case is likely to drive renewed scrutiny of supervision, evidence-handling and workplace culture in the force.