This Is An Odd Case.......

[ToraToraTora]

https://news.sky.com/story/novlett-robyn-williams-metropolitan-police-officer-convicted-of-possessing-child-abuse-video-wins-appeal-against-sacking-12334589
You can end up through the wringer because someone sends you something on Whatsapp! Dunno why she didn't just delete it mind.

[THECORBYLOON]

"surely in the light of this she will be allowed to appeal the conviction."

"In February, Williams' appeal against her conviction for having a child abuse video on her phone was refused by the Court of Appeal."

It would appear the panel decided her actions amounted only to misconduct rather than gross misconduct.

[New Judge]

//DD, surely in the light of this she will be allowed to appeal the conviction.//

It's conventional the other way around, Tora. Had she successfully appealed her conviction that may have been good grounds for a tribunal to rule she be reinstated. But success at a tribunal is unlikely to have much influence on the Court of Appeal.

[ToraToraTora]

fair enough judge but as pointed out she now has her job reinstated, what is the point if she can't take it up. I therefore thought there must be some mechanism for her to appeal again based on that.

[Hopkirk]

We aren't getting the full story. What we are told just doesn't make sense.

[ToraToraTora]

agreed hoppy must be more to it.

[THECORBYLOON]

"she now has her job reinstated, what is the point if she can't take it up."

How can she not be employed again

[jno]

is the moral that if you get a text or an email you are "in possession" of it, so you'd better look at it immediately and report it to someone if there's anything poteentially illegal in it?

That sounds troubling for someone like me who only catches up on communications every few days.

[Hopkirk]

1. Why is her sister sending such stuff to her?

2. Why was her phone checked for such material?

[jno]

maybe the sister's husband/boyfriend was suspected, and they traced where his messages went?

[Hopkirk]

Maybe we are not hearing the full story, or anything like the full story. It just doesn't make sense.

[douglas9401]

"...are coppers allowed to have a criminal conviction?"

Sting & co had a few criminal records.

[jno]

looks like they were tracking the message

//Williams was one of 17 people sent the 54-second video by Hodge, who in turn had received it from her partner Dido Massivi//

https://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/crime/novlett-williams-dismissed-over-child-abuse-video-3835920

[Hopkirk]

Her sister must have had reason to think she would like to see it

[cassa333]

Surely they could tell if she had downloaded it and watched it? Crap I get sent on my work WhatsApp is fuzzy till it’s viewed

[Peter Pedant]

// the moral that if you get a text or an email you are "in possession"//

oi didnt know your honour - - - - is clearly limited

if you think your pocket is empty, and there is a knife in it, you are not in possession
if you know there is a knife you are in possession and the heroin on the blade.

in this case she knew it was there - so that is game over for possession

[Smowball]

1. How did anyone know it was on her phone, whether she had viewed it or not.
2. Was the one who sent it others boyfriend really called Dido Massivi??

[dannyk13]

DD //, are coppers allowed to have a criminal conviction?//
Not in my day, nor in my force, but the Met has always gone its own way.

[DTCwordfan]

Nobody has referred to it but there have been some inferences - so I'll be blunt and ask whether this was perhaps 'politically' motivated from within the Met - as she didn't fit their stereotype? Views?