Ex-Met Police officers admit sending racist WhatsApps - including ones about Meghan Markle and Rishi Sunak

Five former Metropolitan Police officers have admitted to sending grossly offensive racist messages on WhatsApp, some of which were about Meghan Markle.

Other people mentioned in the group chat included the Duke of Sussex Prince Harry, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip, as well as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, former Home Secretary Priti Patel, and former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, according to the charges.

The ex-officers, who retired between 2001 and 2015, entered guilty pleas at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday afternoon (7 September). It follows a BBC Newsnight investigation last October, which prompted a probe by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards.

Whilst serving in the force, all five men spent time in the Diplomatic Protection Group, which is now known as the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command. The Met Police has made clear however that they were not serving at any point during their participation in the group - with the messages in question all sent between 2020 and 2022.

One of the men facing charges is Robert Lewis, who, after retiring from the Met in 2015 became an official in the Home Office. The government department confirmed that the 62-year-old from Camberley, Surrey, who admitted eight counts of sending by public communications grossly offensive racist messages, was dismissed for gross misconduct last November.

The other men include:

• Peter Booth, 66, from Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, who pleaded guilty to four counts of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages. He retired from the Met in April 2001.
• Anthony Elsom, 67, of Bournemouth, Dorset, who entered guilty pleas to three counts of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages. He retired from the Met in 2012.
• Alan Hall, 65, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, who also entered guilty pleas to three counts of sending by public communications grossly offensive racist messages. He retired from the Met in 201.
• And Trevor Lewton, 65, from Swansea, South Wales, who pleaded guilty to one count of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages. He retired from the Met in August 2009.

Meanwhile, another former Met Police officer Michael Chadwell, who retired from the force in November 2015, denied one count of sending by public communication grossly offensive racist messages. The 62-year-old, from Liss, Hampshire, will stand trial on 6 November at the City of London Magistrates’ Court.

Lewis, Booth, Elsom, Hall, and Lewton will be sentenced on the same day and at the same court, following the conclusion of Chadwell’s trial. All six men have been granted unconditional bail until then.

After the men were charged, Commander James Harman, who leads the Met Police’s Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command, said: “We are working relentlessly to rebuild the trust of the public which has understandably been dented by a number of high profile incidents and investigations in recent years which have involved officers or former officers.

“The honest majority of Met Police officers are fully behind this work. They are tired of being let down by a minority in policing and they are aware of the damage poor behaviour can do to our relationship with the communities we serve.

“I recognise that announcements about the outcome of our investigations may have the potential to cause further public concern, but I hope it demonstrates our absolute commitment to investigate any corrupt and abusive behaviour from the Met. I hope that the public will recognise we are determined to take the necessary measures to investigate any wrongdoing wherever we find it.”