A MET Police worker allegedly photographed dead car crash victims and airdropped them to a colleague.
Luke Pearce is accused of taking pictures at the scene of a horror smash on July 16 last year which killed three people.
The defendant worked at the police car pound in Perivale, West London
Central NewsLuke Pearce, 26, is accused of taking victims of dead car crash victims[/caption]
The 26-year-old, who worked at the police car pound in Perivale, West London, sent the graphic snaps to a fellow worker, a court heard.
He allegedly took footage from inside the BWM with his mobile phone and airdropped them to his pal.
According to his LinkedIn, Pearce was staff at the car pound from July 2020 until October 2024.
He today appeared at Southwark Crown Court charged with two counts of misconduct in public office.
Prosecutor Dickon Reid told the court Pearce was accused of “taking photos of human remains after a road traffic accident and thereafter distributing them”.
Wearing a black V-neck jumper and a white T-shirt the defendant spoke only to confirm his name.
Pearce, of Sandhurst, Bracknell, did not enter pleas and was granted unconditional bail until October 17.
Defending, Kerrie Ann Rowan, told the court there was no argument regarding allegations against Pearce’s conduct.
But there was a disagreement over whether the defendant could be classified as “a public police officer” and whether he had access to the Police National Computer.
This comes after we reported how five Met detectives were arrested last week.
They were detained over an alleged plot to suppress a complaint of sexual assault by a policewoman against a senior officer.
Raids were carried out on the homes of the suspects and at police stations where they work.
One of those arrested is a detective inspector working on the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards.
In addition, those held also include a detective chief inspector, another detective inspector and a detective sergeant.
It is alleged the male officers nobbled a complaint of sexual assault by the female cop against a governor at a CID party last Christmas.
The cover-up allegations surfaced in June and last Tuesday searches were carried out at 11 addresses.
It comes as the Met continues to investigate the force, ordered by Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley, in the wake of a landmark report by Baroness Casey of Blackstock into the Met’s culture and standards.
The peer’s 2023 report branded the Met institutionally racist, homophobic and misogynistic.
It said a “boys’ club” culture was rife in Britain’s biggest force and accused the Met of failing to protect the public from officers who abuse women.
Baroness Casey’s damning review of the Met was ordered following the March 2021 kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by Met firearms officer Couzens, who had a history of flashing offences.
The report led to the Met’s biggest purge in 50 years with more than 1,000 cops being suspended or placed on restricted duties.
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