Crime & Safety
Oxfordshire police officer made sexual comments in WhatsApp group
PC Callum Kilsby was imposed with an extended four-year final written during a misconduct hearing this month.
There were eight separate proven and admitted allegations where he was involved in sending and receiving posts on the chat across a six-week period between October and December 2020.
READ MORE: Witney man named after ‘fire threats’ in police standoff
At the time, he was a probationary police officer with Northamptonshire Police before transferring to Thames Valley Police in December 2022.
Some of the messages contained were said to be grossly offensive, prejudicial and discriminatory in nature towards women and one included race. There were also two screen shots of wording upon a police computer screen said to be in breach of confidentiality.
During the two-day misconduct panel, starting on March 9, the officer accepted he had breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour amounting to misconduct.
However, throughout the hearing he denied his behaviour amounted to gross misconduct, which means that the allegations are so serious to justify dismissal.
The panel found that PC Kilsby’s conduct was intentional and deliberate and that discrimination was both conscious and deliberate.
Mitigating factors were considered by the panel, including his age, 22 years-old at the time.
These also included that he was new, naïve and keen to get to know members on his team, and that when he realised that chat was inappropriate, he stopped participating.
Other factors included his 11-character references, that there has been no repeat of the concerned conduct and that he received a detective chief superintendents certificate of excellence concerning his part in apprehending a high-risk offender.
It also considered his ADHD diagnoses in October 2025. Dr Duffet, consultant psychiatrist on behalf of Psychiatry UK, funded by the NHS, said: “In my opinion, [his] comments include impulsiveness, particularly blurting things out in conversation, talking context of having undiagnosed ADHD.”
The panel found that the diagnosis was such that it was relevant and may have been a contributory factor in his lapses of judgement.
However, while it was a mitigating factor, the panel said it did not reduce the seriousness of the allegations and his culpability to the extent that it diminished the overall seriousness of the conduct.
In its conclusion, the panel noted there were significant mitigation factors including that he was young in service at the time of the conduct, his participation in the group had been a short period and occurred more than five years ago and he had shown genuine remorse and learnt from his behaviour which was out of character.
Oxford Stand Up To Racism has accused Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, of inciting the ‘awful violent scenes’ in Southampton on Tuesday night (June 2).
The city where 18-year-old Henry Nowak died and where his killer, Vickrum Digwa, lived became a scene of destruction after hundreds descended to smash car windows, hurl bricks and cause eleven officers and a police dog to be injured.
READ MORE: New date set for Tommy Robinson appearance in Oxford
Following the disorder, the chief of Hampshire police said those involved were ‘determined to spark fear and division’.
Yaxley-Lennon, who has been jailed multiple times for a variety of offences including when he was imprisoned in October 2024 for contempt of caught, addressed the crowd at the riot.
He said: “I heard someone say this wasn’t about race, this is about race.
“A white boy who done nothing was handcuffed, a murderer in possession of a knife who stabbed someone five times isn’t.”
Oxford Stand Up to Racism is now renewing its call for the Oxford Union to withdraw its invitation for the ‘riot agitator’ to speak on June 17 on the subject of Islam.
He was originally due to speak at the historic debating society on Thursday, May 28 before his appearance was postponed over security concerns and after massive backlash.
READ MORE: Major emergency response in Oxford as paramedics on scene
Ian McKendrick, a member of the anti-racism group, said: “Despite Henry Nowak’s family clearly requesting that his death should not be used to promote further hatred, Robinson was at the centre of protests in Southampton last night and clearly inciting violence.
“Giving him a televised platform at the Oxford Union legitimises hate and violence, and gives him the opportunity to incite violence to an audience of millions.
“It does not promote free speech – instead, it promotes fear and intimidation among minoritised communities.
“Already we have seen Oxford fascists alongside Robinson in Southampton and now mobilising to bring more hate onto Oxford’s streets.”
Members of Raise the Colours: Oxfordshire were called to attend the Southampton protest on Tuesday night, with the leader of the group posting on Facebook to ask followers to join the ‘justice for Henry Nowak’ protest.
Mr McKendrick added: “There is a concerted effort by far right leaders and fascist groups to incite outrage and bring people on to the streets to riot.
READ MORE: Traffic chaos in Witney amid report of ‘major incident’
“We risk an explosion of violence similar to what we saw around the Southport murders across the UK.
“We’re calling on Oxford to say a clear ‘no’ to this hate and division by protesting against Yaxley-Lennon’s appearance at the Oxford Union.”
Faith and civic leaders of Oxford already wrote to the Oxford Union asking it to rescind the controversial figure’s invitation, and hundreds have signed an open letter calling for the same.
A reported incident at a junction in Witney is causing traffic chaos in the town, with drivers coming off the A40 and elsewhere stuck in long queues.
Source link
An incident occurred in St Aldate’s, outside the entrance to Christ Church Meadows, at about 4pm on Tuesday, June 2.
At least three ambulances were responding to what appeared to be a medical emergency on the pavement.
READ MORE: Oxfordshire footbridge over A-road a collapse risk for years
An individual was scene on a stretcher being cared for by paramedics.
An eyewitness said the incident occurred opposite the Alice Shop, and the medical teams ‘evacuated’ the person.
Apart from the pavement briefly being blocked while the first responders dealt with the emergency, it did not appear to affect traffic or block the road in busy St Aldate’s.
South Central Ambulance Service has been contacted for comment.
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoWaitrose supermarkets across UK shut due to ‘critical error’
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoMan arrested in connection with rape in Oxfordshire town
-
Crime & Safety4 weeks agoHow to spend a day in Harpsden among UK’s poshest villages
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoBanbury woman jailed after lying to police about kidnapped children
-
Oxford Events3 weeks agoStage Watch: Somerset House enters the comedy arena with major new festival Laughterama
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoStrictly Come Dancing new hosts reportedly Emma Willis
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoCBI posts 14% revenue rise as payment services grow
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoUK Hantavirus update as 22 ship passengers moved to hospital