Met Police officer jailed over inappropriate sexual behaviour
Homersham, from Southgate in north London, had told the girl he would help with her ambition to join the police.He was arrested in December 2023, resigned the following month, and later admitted a charge of misconduct in public office.He would have been dismissed if he had not already left, a misconduct hearing found.Ch Supt Sara Leach said Homersham was "completely unprofessional" and his actions "have clearly undermined the trust the public have in us".
'Highly inappropriate'
Sentencing him, Judge Christopher Hehir said: "You came into contact with her when she was vulnerable."In those circumstances when it is a domestic incident, your job is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of any child you encounter, not to target one of them for sexual activity."You obtained the girl's telephone number under the pretext of needing a witness statement from her."There was in fact no need for a witness statement at all and you had something completely else in mind."The judge said Homersham had collected the girl and taken her to a "secluded location, where what is often referred to as dogging takes place".He added: "Even if you had not been a police officer, one might wonder why a 30 or 31-year-old man was making sexual advances to a 16-year-old."This was highly inappropriate, entirely wrong and unlawful."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Fury over newly installed 'killer kerb' causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to cars daily
Drivers are furious with a council over a new foot-high 'Killer Kerb' which has caused thousands of pounds of damage to cars. The new installation was designed to create a 'more welcoming environment for pedestrians' but has instead become so notorious that it has been listed as a tourist attraction on Google Maps. It has caused so much damage that a Facebook page has been dedicated to the carnage it has caused. The Lib Dem-led Wiltshire Council was built in October 2024 as part of a £3.2 million project. It was 'renewed' last year under a scheme the county council said would 'create a more welcoming environment for pedestrians' when they walk towards the city centre from the railway station. One video of a car bumping over the kerb had been viewed more than one million times on social media. Since it was installed the council has faced a slew of compensation claims from motorists who have damaged their vehicles on the kerb. However, some locals say that the drivers are themselves to blame. The 'killer kerb 'sits around 100 metres from Salisbury train station in Wiltshire at a mini roundabout at the junction of two major roads. Since opening in October 2024 eight compensation claims relating to it have been made compared to zero in the three previous years. Tom Curtress, 34, from Berkshire, is one of several people who have damaged their cars on the kerb. He said: 'It will be two new doors and some panel work. It's not exactly a bit of varnish and some paint work. 'Other people will do the same thing; they will have a great weekend, drop someone off at the station and then prang their car.' After hitting the kerb in his Ford Focus in March he noticed a BMW do something similar 15 minutes later. He added: 'That BMW car door's going to cost more than a Ford Focus one. 'It was an identical issue, coming from the station. It's not just causing a little scuff. It's causing dents. 'If you drive from the station, you can't see the kerb from the driver's side. It's a tight turn and you don't want to go into the oncoming traffic. 'I took one video where around 50 percent of the cars, to avoid it, had their driver's side on the other side of the road.' Retired military pilot Anthony D'Arcy-Irvine, 82, caused £4,000 worth of damage after hitting his Volkswagen on the kerb in June. When he took his car to the garage he was told he was the 'third car that day'. Mr D'Arcy-Irvine, from Enford, Wilts, said of the incident that led to the damage: 'I was going to get crushed. If I had stayed where I was, I would have been hit by the vehicle coming the other way. 'I have lived in Salisbury for 50 years and I have used that roundabout regularly, I think it is very badly marked. 'When you pull out of the way of a truck coming the other way, there's not sign of where it is. You cannot see it. Other people have rung me and said the same thing. 'Wiltshire Council and Highways have a responsibility to make sure it is safe for driers as well, and it isn't. They have a duty of care for road users.' Heather Armstrong, who owns nearby Gullicks Florists, added: 'Literally everyday a vehicle will go into the kerb and people get stuck on it. 'If someone gets stuck on there it does cause problems with traffic building up. 'I know it's there, so I know to pull out further. For some people, it's not that visible. 'When there was a railing there it gave some more guidance. You have to swing out the other way, and sometimes with traffic coming the other way, that's not possible.' One Facebook page dedicated to the kerb has over 4,200 members, more than 10 percent of the historic city's population. However, viewers are split over who to blame for the damage. One commentator, Jo Earley, saying 'Can we stop blaming the kerb and start blaming the idiots behind the wheel?' Another user, Patrick Day, commented: 'This group isn't for 'victims'. It's for people to laugh at the ones who can't drive and mount it.' However Jonathan Hodgetts wrote: 'Installing a curb like this is crazy but I am amazed people get caught so often. Mind you we all make mistakes so must not be too critical.' One anonymous user said: 'You should have your licence taken away from you if you can't negotiate a corner, dumbass.' Samantha Stokes added: 'Far too much time is being spent on this bloody kerb. I can't wait for the traffic lights to come for the idiots can't turn a corner without smashing their car up.' One social media member even suggested setting up a viewing area on the other side of the road to mock road users. After months of complaints, a safety audit has now been completed by Wiltshire Council and work is due to start next week to improve the kerb. The gradient of the footpath is set to be reduced and a bollard put in place to guide people around the 90-degree corner. 'Deterrent paving' will also be insalled to assist drivers. Councillor Martin Smith, cabinet member for highways at Wiltshire Council, said: 'This is a key junction providing access to the railway station and city centre, with approximately 11,000 vehicles passing under the Fisherton Street railway bridge each day. 'It is important that the infrastructure installed at this location supports pedestrian safety, especially with the recent opening of Fisherton car park for SWR customers, which has increased footfall in the area.'
The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
BBC apologises to Jenrick over suggestions he is xenophobic in Radio 4 broadcast
The BBC has apologised to Robert Jenrick after a refugee charity boss suggested the shadow justice secretary is xenophobic during Radio 4's Today programme. Mr Jenrick has accused the broadcaster of smearing 'millions of worried citizens as 'xenophobic' for their completely understandable fears'. While appearing on the radio on Wednesday, Krish Kandiah, a director of Sanctuary Foundation, claimed Mr Jenrick had increased 'fear of the stranger' among people. Mr Kandiah added: 'The technical name for this is xenophobia. 'All phobias are by definition irrational. Nevertheless, they have a huge impact. 'Over the past year, xenophobia has fuelled angry protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers, deepening divisions in our communities.' In a letter to the Conservative MP, the broadcaster's head of editorial standards Roger Mahony said the comments went 'well beyond' what is expected of its Thought For The Day segment. Mr Mahony said: 'I have concluded that, while its reflection on fear in society from a faith perspective is broadly in line with expectations of Thought For The Day, some of the language it used went beyond that. 'I have asked for the two references to xenophobia to be edited from the programme on BBC Sounds. Please accept my apology for their original inclusion.' The content has since been removed from the programme on BBC Sounds. Mr Jenrick said: 'Illegal migration is obviously fuelling crime and the public are right to be concerned about it. 'It's extremely disappointing the BBC thought it was acceptable to smear millions of worried citizens as 'xenophobic' for their completely understandable fears about undocumented men entering illegally.' A series of protests have been held outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, over recent weeks after an asylum seeker was accused of attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, denies the charges of sexual assault and is due to stand trial this month. In a statement, the BBC said: 'During this episode of Thought For The Day, criticism was made of recent comments by shadow secretary of state for justice Robert Jenrick, about hotels housing asylum seekers. 'While the programme's reflection on fear in society from a faith perspective was broadly in line with expectations of Thought For The Day, some of the language used went beyond that and we apologise for its inclusion. 'It has been removed from the version on BBC Sounds.'
The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
Mexico says 26 capos extradited to US were requested by Trump administration
Mexico sent 26 alleged cartel figures to face justice in the United States because the Trump administration requested them and Mexico did not want them to continue running their illicit businesses from Mexican prisons, officials said Wednesday. The mass transfer was not, however, part of wider negotiations as Mexico seeks to avoid higher tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump, they said. 'These transfers are not only a strategic measure to ensure public safety, but also reflect a firm determination to prevent these criminals from continuing to operate from within prisons and to break up their networks of influence,' Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said in a news conference on Wednesday. The 26 prisoners handed over to American authorities on Tuesday included figures aligned with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel among others. They were wanted by American authorities for their roles in drug trafficking and other crimes. It comes months after 29 other cartel leaders were sent to the U.S. in February. In the exchange, the U.S. Justice Department promised it would not seek the death penalty against any of the 55 people included in the two transfers, which experts say may help avoid any violent outburst by the cartels in response. Authorities said the operation involved nearly a thousand law enforcement officers, 90 vehicles and a dozen military aircraft. Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said earlier Wednesday that the transfers were 'sovereign decisions,' but the move comes as the Mexican leader faces mounting pressure by the Trump administration to crack down on cartels and fentanyl production. García Harfuch also confirmed Wednesday that a U.S. government drone — non-military — was flying over central Mexico, but at the request of Mexican authorities as part of an ongoing investigation. So far, Sheinbaum has tried to show the Trump administration a greater willingness to pursue the cartels than her predecessor — a change that has been acknowledged by U.S. officials — and continued to slow migration to the U.S. border, in an effort to avoid the worst of Trump's tariff threats. Two weeks ago, the two leaders spoke and agreed to give their teams another 90 days to negotiate to avoid threatened 30% tariffs on imports from Mexico. 'Little by little, Mexico is following through with this demand by the Americans to deliver drug capos," said Mexican security analyst David Saucedo. "It's buying (the Mexican government) time." Saucedo said the Mexican government has been able to avoid a burst of violence by cartels – a reaction often seen when capos are captured – in part, because Ovidio Guzmán, a son of infamous capo Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, showed it's possible to negotiate with U.S. prosecutors. Ovidio Guzmán pleaded guilty last month to drug trafficking and other charges and hopes for a lighter sentence in exchange for his cooperation. But Saucedo warned that if such mass prisoner transfers continue, the Latin American country is bound to see another outburst of violence in the future.
