Met Commissioner Cressida Dick apologises for cops who snapped selfies with murdered sisters

Under pressure Met Police chief Cressida Dick has expressed “deep regret” over the “utterly unprofessional, disrespectful and deeply insensitive” behaviour of officers who shared pictures of two murdered sisters.

She also issued a fresh apology to the family of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry after Jamie Lewis, 33, and former PC Deniz Jaffer, 47, both pleaded guilty to a charge of misconduct in public office earlier today.

Both men had been assigned to protect the scene where the bodies of Nicole, 27, and 46-year-old Bibaa were found after they were stabbed to death by teenage satainist Danyal Hussein in Fryent Country Park, Wembley, north west London.

Lewis and Jaffer have been warned they face jail.

An Independent Office for Police Conduct report found Jaffer took four photographs on his personal mobile phone while he was positioned on the cordon and, in the early hours of the morning sent five photographs, one a duplicate - to Lewis.

The younger officer then superimposed his face onto one of the photographs which showed the sisters in the background.

Lewis then shared photographs he had taken at the crime scene, which did not show the sisters, with a WhatsApp group entitled ‘A Team group’ consisting of 42 colleagues.

He also used degrading and sexist language to describe the victims at the crime scene, the IOPC discovered.

Jaffer also shared photographs he took of the sisters with two police colleagues and three members of the public.

Following their guilty pleas, the Met said it was taking “immediate steps” to put former PC Jaffer, who has resigned from the force, and PC Lewis before accelerated misconduct hearings.

Met Commissioner Dick said: “Our thoughts today are with the family and friends of Bibaa and Nicole.

“I deeply regret that at a time when they were grieving the loss of their loved ones who were taken in such awful circumstances, they faced additional distress caused by the actions of two police officers.

“What former PC Jaffer and PC Lewis chose to do that day was utterly unprofessional, disrespectful and deeply insensitive. I know that is the view of colleagues across the Met who utterly condemn this behaviour.

“They have pleaded guilty today to a serious criminal offence and sentencing will follow in due course.

“I apologised to Bibaa and Nicole’s family in June last year and, on behalf of the Met, I apologise again today.

“Now that the judicial process has got to this stage, we are able to take the officers through an accelerated misconduct process”.

The Commissioner is under fire over the Met’s response to the murder of Sarah Everard, by serving police officer Wayne Couzens.

Scotland Yard initially issued guidance saying the women concerned about being approached by a lone officer should flag down a bus.

It also emerged that Couzens’ nickname in the police was “the rapist”.