Ex-Met Police officer who sent racist message moans 'but there are worse cops convicted of rape and murder'

A former Metropolitan Police officer has insisted he sent a 'repellent' racist message 'inadvertently' as he lost an appeal to reduce his sentence. Trevor Lewton, 66, also tried to contrast his crime with serving Met Police officers who have been convicted of rape and murder in recent years as he represented himself at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday morning (November 28).

The ex-Royal Marine from Swansea - who served with the Met between 1981 and 2009 - was part of the 'Old Boys Beer Meet - Wales' group chat exposed by BBC Newsnight in October 2022. At the time, one member was still employed by the Home Office as a part-time Border Force officer, while others previously served with the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection command.

The chat included racist comments about the Conservative government's Rwanda policy, deadly floods in Pakistan, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Lewton's offending message, sent in March 2022, was a photo of an aspirin bottle, along with the caption: 'Why do they put cotton wool in tablet bottles? To remind Black people they were cotton pickers before they were drug dealers'.

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A police investigation followed, and six retired officers, all aged in their 60s, were convicted for their varying roles. Lewton pleaded guilty to a single count of sending a grossly offensive racist message by public communication and he was given six weeks in prison suspended for 12 months with 65 hours unpaid work at Westminster Magistrates' Court in December 2023.

Lewton's short suspended sentence, which was the most lenient of the six men, reflected his lesser role, guilty plea, long public service, and a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis. Today, however, he argued this had still been 'excessive' as he minimised his 'joke' by alluding to the crimes of other officers like killer Wayne Couzens and rapist Adam Provan.

'But how does that help you?'

Addressing the judge and two magistrates, Lewton said: "I was gravely ill at the time and the prosecution have got no evidence I even opened or read any of the messages referred to. I only have a single message which might have been sent inadvertently. It's not that I am trying to conceal what I did. The message came from my phone. I pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

"In terms of the public interest, I think far too much has been placed. The minimum retirement age of the group was eight years, myself 14 years. Since 2015 there are a total of 283 serving Metropolitan Police officers convicted of criminal offences, including murder and rape.

"On my first appearance there was a serving Metropolitan Police officer there for multiple rapes. There were no press inside, but multiple cameras for ours. I believe the Metropolitan Police is repressing details of serving officers doing worse, including a serving Detective Sergeant who was given a final written warning in relation to malicious messages to her colleagues."

Judge Justin Cole looked slightly bemused as he asked Lewton to explain how reference to the crimes of serving police officers helped his appeal.

Lewton said: "It's the public interest. A lot of what has been attached to were jokes. Yet there are a considerable number of officers convicted of far more serious offences."

Still querying, Judge Cole asked again: "But how does that help you? Does that not prove the point, that culture of racist talk can perpetuate a culture of police officers in place?"

Lewton replied: "All of us have a 180 years of exemplary service and have not had one complaint of racism... I have got no recollection of that joke."

Asked what he wanted to achieve, Lewton added: "I think a suspended sentence for one joke made when I was gravely vulnerable, I could have sent inadvertently, is excessive."

'Repellent racism in its rawest form'

Prosecutor Fiona Robertson told the court Lewton was highly culpable as the message represented 'hostility based on race', and that it was aggravated by his position as a former police officer, which undermined public confidence.

Ms Robertson also referred to the findings of a pre sentence report writer, who found Lewton appeared 'not to have proper regard for the severity of the offence' and seemed to think it was okay to send the message because there was no Black person in the group. The writer also said Lewton did not believe he was racist, so he could not be challenged on it.

After retiring with Ms Burke and Mr Tayler, Judge Cole read out the message and said: "To any reasonable person this is grossly offensive racism. It's not in anyway in context. It's simply repellent racism in its rawest form."

Then after praising Lewton's career in the military and police, he continued: "It's startling and depressing someone with that record would send the message that I have just read out.

"Not withstanding the personal mitigation, your role as a senior police officer and the fact this was a contribution to a group going on for years full of similarly vile racist content was of such a degree the offence damages and tarnishes valuable public confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service. The public expect better, and rightly so.

"You still describe it as a joke. You still make reference to comedians using this type of material. We are not sure you really get it."

Lewton's appeal was rejected on the grounds the original District Judge had correctly considered everything put before them in reaching their original decision. It means Lewton will have to stump up £150 in court costs.

Who were the six officers?

Lewton was just one of six officers who went before the courts last year on charges relating to their role in the racist WhatsApp group. Other former PaDP officers were Michael Chadwell, Peter Booth, Anthony Elsom, Alan Hall, and Robert Lewis. Chadwell was the only person to contest his single charge, but he lost the case and received a longer sentence than Lewton.

The full sentences are as follows:

• Michael Chadwell, 63, from Liss, Hampshire - 10 weeks suspended for 12 months, and 100 hours unpaid work

• Peter Booth, 67, from Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire - eight weeks suspended for 12 months and 140 hours unpaid work

• Anthony Elsom, 68, from Bournemouth - eight weeks suspended for 12 months, and 40 hours unpaid work

• Trevor Lewton, 66, from Swansea - six weeks suspended for 12 months, and 65 hours unpaid work

• Alan Hall, 66, from Stowmarket, Suffolk - eight weeks suspended for 12 months, and 140 hours unpaid work

• Robert Lewis, 63, from Camberley, Surrey - 14 weeks suspended for 12 months, with 200 hours unpaid work

On Thursday the court heard none of the other officers have tried to appeal their conviction or sentence.

Got a tip, a court date, or some gossip? Please email callum.cuddeford@reachplc.com or WhatsApp 07580255582.

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