Met Police officer sacked after asking colleague to send her picture of decomposed corpse to 'share with her mother'

A Metropolitan Police officer has been dismissed after she asked a colleague for a photo of a decomposed corpse
A Metropolitan Police officer has been dismissed after she asked a colleague for a photo of a decomposed corpse
Peter Byrne
Tom Fredericks

By Tom Fredericks


Published: 27/01/2023

- 17:36

Bonnie Murphy was also censured for cheating on a police driving exam by looking up answers on Google and receiving copies of previous exams

A Metropolitan Police officer has been dismissed after she asked a colleague for a photo of a decomposed corpse so that she could “share it with her mother”.

PC Bonnie Murphy received the image over WhatsApp from Jamie Lewis, a fellow PC, who was later jailed for posing for selfie-type photographs next to the bodies of two murdered sisters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry in Wembley, north London.


Following a disciplinary hearing, Murphy was also censured for cheating on a police driving exam by looking up answers on Google and receiving copies of previous exams from Lewis.

The hearing, which followed an Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation, also found that Lewis would have been dismissed if he was still a serving officer.

After hearing the evidence, the disciplinary panel, led by an independent legally qualified chair, ruled they were both in breach of the police professional standards of behaviour relating to honesty and integrity.

IOPC regional director Sal Naseem said: “The period after a person’s death is already difficult enough for their loved ones, so to learn that an image has been taken and shared inappropriately by police officers only compounds their grief, undermines their confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service and the profession as a whole.

“We welcome the panel’s decision and hope today’s outcome demonstrates that this behaviour is not treated lightly and can result in serious consequences for the officers involved.

“Though PC Murphy was fairly new to her role, she had undertaken multiple training courses and would have known her request to obtain a death scene photo for personal purposes was in breach of professional standards.

“Lewis failed to challenge PC Murphy’s behaviour and was willing to help her cheat in an exam. Both officers also showed a complete lack of respect to this deceased man and his family.

“Lewis has already been jailed for his disgraceful actions by taking and sharing photos of murder victims, and this investigation further illustrates that he was unfit to serve as a police officer.

“Our thoughts remain with the family at this difficult time.”

File photo dated 2/11/2021 of Pc Jamie Lewis, one of two police officers who took pictures of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman who are due to sentenced at the Old Bailey on Monday. Issue date: Monday December 6, 2021.
Jamie Lewis, a fellow PC, who was later jailed for posing for selfie-type photographs next to the bodies of two murdered sisters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry
Victoria Jones

PC Murphy will now be placed on the College of Policing’s barred list. Former PC Lewis was already placed on the barred list following an accelerated hearing organised by the MPS after he was convicted and jailed in December 2021 for two years and nine months.

The officer who took the original photo of the dead man has not been sacked but has instead been ordered to take the “reflective practice review process to learn and reflect on his actions.”

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