Copper Faces Sack for 'Obscene' Chants

bristol | policing | news report Monday May 04, 2009 11:52 by CopWatch

Ooops - a copper in a group of Bristol City fans was chanting obscene stuff - all infront of a member of the public who turned out to be a top police boss.

A Scotland Yard detective is facing the sack after chanting obscene football songs on a packed commuter train.

James Coleman, 27, was among a group of rowdy Bristol City fans who yelled out offensive songs, which left other passengers intimidated and distressed.

Unfortunately for Coleman, one of the passengers in the same carriage was City of London Police Commissioner Mike Bowron, who was also on his way to the evening match in South-East London.

....

Coleman was later charged with disorderly behaviour causing harassment, alarm and distress after being picked out of CCTV footage by Mr Bowron.

Initially, his defence team told Westminster magistrates he had been unfairly prosecuted because he was a police officer, arguing the matter should instead have been dealt with internally by a disciplinary inquiry.

But on legal advice, he changed his plea to guilty last month, ahead of the trial scheduled for May 19. He was handed a £300 fine and ordered to pay £100 costs.

Colleagues of Coleman told the Daily Mail he was greatly embarrassed by the case. One said: 'From what I can gather, he had no idea that the officer on the train was such a high ranking policeman.'

So it is only embarrassing to be picked out by a fellow coppers, but sod Joe Public? Great.