Former Met Officer's Rape Jokes Deemed Gross Misconduct by Tribunal
A former Metropolitan Police officer who was secretly filmed making jokes about rape and sexual assault has been formally found to have committed gross misconduct by a professional standards tribunal panel. The ruling follows the airing of undercover footage in a BBC Panorama documentary last October, which captured ex-police constable Brian Sharkey making a series of highly inappropriate comments.
Damning Comments Undermine Public Trust
During the misconduct hearing in south London, the tribunal panel viewed footage showing Mr Sharkey, who retired in May 2025, making disturbing remarks about sexual offences. In one particularly egregious exchange filmed at a pub following a shift in January last year, Mr Sharkey was heard saying: "If you are going to get accused of it you might as well f****** do it then. If you go down for a sexual assault you might as well go down for rape."
Panel chairman Commander Stephen Clayman delivered a stern verdict, stating that such comments "undermine public confidence in policing at a time when police forces and particularly the Met Police are trying to demonstrate how seriously it takes offences of violence against women and girls."
Attempted Justification and Regret
During his evidence, Mr Sharkey attempted to explain the context of his remarks, claiming he meant to provide an "example" of how treating "trivial matters" with excessive weight could devalue more serious issues. He conceded it was a "poor example" and "very, very, very wrong." The former officer expressed regret, telling the panel: "I take sexual assault very, very seriously, do not trivialise it at all. I do regret it, I regretted it right from the start."
Cecily White, representing the Metropolitan Police, argued forcefully that joking about allegations of sexual assault or rape, especially to colleagues, "is capable of undermining public trust and confidence because it is capable of making members of the public think that police officers do not think such allegations are particularly serious."
Additional Controversial Remarks Revealed
The tribunal also examined other problematic statements made by Mr Sharkey. In August 2024, while on a break during a night shift, he was filmed dismissing claims of racial bias during stop and search operations, referring to such complaints as "a whole load of a mouth full of shit." Ms White contended that the then-officer was treating legitimate concerns about racial bias as "spurious excuses."
Mr Sharkey defended himself against accusations of racism, stating: "I was not being racist at all" and explaining that he became "very tongue-tied" during the conversation. He acknowledged that abuse of power regarding racial bias "is a source of concern" and insisted he was not trying to trivialise the issue.
Evidence Disposal Discussion
Further footage from the pub evening in January last year showed Mr Sharkey speaking to an undercover journalist about who to bring into custody. He described a scenario involving "some office worker who has got his first bit of class A" drugs, suggesting evidence might be "dropped" in such cases. Mr Sharkey later claimed he was recounting a story from his probation days approximately twenty years earlier and had "explained it incorrectly."
Wider BBC Investigation Fallout
The undercover footage was captured by a BBC journalist working as a designated detention officer at Charing Cross police station's custody suite. The Panorama documentary, aired on October 1 last year, has led to significant disciplinary action across the force. To date, seven other police officers have been dismissed without notice following separate hearings where they were found to have committed gross misconduct.
The panel ultimately found that Mr Sharkey's comments constituted breaches of professional standards regarding authority, respect and courtesy, discreditable conduct, and equality and diversity. While he was also filmed making a sexual innuendo to colleagues, the panel determined this particular comment did not breach professional standards. The hearing continues as further aspects of the case are examined.
