A Metropolitan Police sergeant has been dismissed after being secretly filmed saying a detainee "deserves to be beaten up". The footage, broadcast by BBC Panorama, showed Sergeant Lawrence Hume making the remarks at Charing Cross police station.
A misconduct hearing in south London heard that Sergeant Hume called the detainee a "prick" and said: "I wanted to say he's a prick, he deserves to be beaten up, but yeah, it's all recorded." He added: "Charge him, send him to prison, throw away the key... deserves to be beaten up don't he."
Panel chairman Commander Jason Prins found the sergeant's behaviour amounted to gross misconduct, noting he was "unable to provide a satisfying answer" for his comments. Mr Prins said: "He made the comments on two occasions unprompted. He was in a leadership position responsible for the welfare of detainees."
Sergeant Hume, who was based at Charing Cross, said in evidence: "I was just, I think, frustrated from the non-compliant detainee we just dealt with who tried to spit at one of my colleagues." He added: "I would never say that if the public could see that at all."
He is the sixth officer dismissed following the BBC investigation. Last month, five other officers were sacked in separate hearings for gross misconduct.
