Met Police officers sacked over athlete stop and search handed jobs back after winning appeal

Posted by author October 4, 2024 Jobs

Two former Metropolitan Police officers sacked over a stop and search involving British athlete Bianca Williams have been handed their jobs back.

It comes after they won an appeal against a ruling that they lied by saying they could smell cannabis during a stop and search of Ms Williams and her partner, Olympic sprinter Ricardo Dos Santos, in 2020.

Former Met Pcs Jonathan Clapham and Sam Franks were dismissed in October last year after a disciplinary panel found they had lied about smelling the drug during the stop.

The finding has been overturned by the Police Appeals Tribunal which found the original decision was “irrational” and “inconsistent”.

Appeals Tribunal chairman Damien Moore said the officers were “dedicated, hard-working and much respected” and their reputations had been “ruined” by the original findings.

“Both officers did not lie,” he said.

“Both officers will now be reinstated to the Met Police. They should receive back-pay.”

Ms Williams and Mr Dos Santos complained to the police watchdog, saying they were racially profiled during a “disturbing” stop and search.

The police followed the athletes as they travelled home from training in their Mercedes with their baby son, who was then three months old on 4 July 2020.

The couple were handcuffed and searched on suspicion of having drugs and weapons after they were pulled over outside their property.

But nothing was found.

Three other officers were cleared of any wrongdoing.

Hugh Davies, representing Mr Clapham, said the officers had “every reason to suspect criminality” when they pulled Dos Santos over.

Mr Davies said another officer at the scene had smelled cannabis but was not found to have lied.

The Independent Office For Police Conduct (IOPC) brought the case against the five officers and previously said the detention of Mr Dos Santos and Ms Williams was “because they were black” and was “excessive, unreasonable, and unjustified”.

After today’s decision, an IOPC spokesperson said: “We note the outcome today of the officers’ appeal and await the written decision by the Police Appeals Tribunal.”

The Met Police came under heavy criticism after footage of the stop was posted on social media, showing a distressed Ms Williams concerned about being separated from her baby.