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A former police officer who appeared in documentaries aired on the BBC and Channel 4 has been jailed today, after he asked for a female suspect's sexually explicit video.
Ex-sergeant Paul Street, 41, was found guilty of misconduct in public office after he bullied a 17-year-old detainee and requested 'nudes' from a female suspect's phone so that he could show 'the lads from footy'.
uncertain
he → see → footy
The jury at the Old Bailey heard how Street called himself 'daddy' on a work WhatsApp chat, where he created a culture of 'bragging and intolerance' towards suspects.
asserted
he → hear → suspects
He had been a police sergeant in Cambridgeshire Constabulary leading a team tackling county lines drug dealing and organised crime, having found fame on popular TV crime shows where he was known for getting 'impressive results' through his 'robust' style.
asserted
he → lead → style
Street had previously appeared on BBC show Britain's Teenage Drug Runners in 2017, and in 2019 was on Channel 4's Famous And Fighting Crime documentary.
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Street → appear → documentary
A court heard in June how Street bullied and verbally abused 17-year-old Robiul Islam during his arrest and detention for drugs offences in April 2020.
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Street → hear → April
He also asked for a sex video found on the phone of a female suspect from colleague PC Joshua Williams, 38, asking him 'any nudes?'.
asserted
He → ask → nudes
He denied both crimes but was convicted by the jury of two charges of misconduct in public office in relation to Mr Islam and the female suspect.
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He → deny → Islam
Ex-sergeant Paul Street (pictured outside Westminster Magistrates' Court today) was sentenced to four years' imprisonment
The court heard how Street (pictured) had bullied a 17-year-old detainee and requested 'nudes' from a female suspect's phone
He denied and was cleared of assault occasioning actual bodily harm relating to a drug dealer who he hit with a baton, and a charge of perverting the course of justice by creating a false statement.
Street had hit former Cambridge law student turned drug dealer Samuel Kayode with a baton in January 2020 and messaged colleagues: 'He had a disagreement with my baton - and then my fist'.
He sent photos of Mr Kayode's injuries to his colleagues and his new girlfriend.
asserted
He → picture → colleagues
But Street told the jury that Mr Kayode had run at him and that he had acted in self defence.
asserted
he → tell → defence
PC Williams admitted misconduct in public office after sharing sexual images of a female suspect found on her confiscated phone.
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Williams → admit → phone
He was sentenced to 16 months jail.
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He → sentence → jail
The suspect - named Ms X in court - had warned Williams when her phone was seized 'there was private material on her phone she did not want shared' on October 1, 2020.
asserted
she → name → October
The suspect shared her PIN code for the phone with the officer.
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suspect → share → officer
Williams messaged Street that day that the suspect was 'quite fit' and 'described in some detail' about her performing a sexual act.
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her → message → act
After Street asked for the images, Williams sent them.
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Williams → ask → them
Williams admitted misconduct in public office and was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment, while Street was found guilty of two counts of misconduct in public office and was sentenced to four years' imprisonment
Street had hit former Cambridge law student turned drug dealer Samuel Kayode with a baton in January 2020 and messaged colleagues: 'He had a disagreement with my baton - and then my fist'.
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He → admit → baton
He appears bloodied and bruised in his above mugshot
The case against Ms X never resulted in any charges being brought.
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charges → appear → X
The following year, Williams took steps to erase signs he had shared the images, fearing an investigation - and undertook a factory reset on his phone.
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he → take → phone
The Recorder of London, Judge Mark Lucraft, KC, told the pair that for police officers to use WhatsApp during investigations was 'appalling', adding that the actions of Street and Williams 'made the job of police officers more difficult' as suspects and witnesses may not trust officers with their phones.
The judge said: 'In my judgment the only appropriate sentences in this case are ones of immediate imprisonment'.
After leaving the police, Street set up a business called Thortitude providing 'mental health first aid courses.'
The website describes Street as identifying 'huge levels of stress' placed on police officers.
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website → tell → officers
He joined Cambridgeshire Constabulary in August 2005, and by 2021 he was a police sergeant leading an impact team at Cambourne Police Station.
asserted
he → join → Station
Anna Whyte, KC, prosecuting, said: 'Paul Street and his team were perceived to obtain impressive results, particularly in tackling serious and organised crime.
'
asserted
Street → prosecute → crime
By the end of this case you are likely to conclude that he had experience and a robust style of policing, and he appears to have relished his work, on occasions putting himself at risk in the execution of his duties.
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he → conclude → duties
In November 2021, Street's personal and work phones were seized during an audit by an anti-corruption unit.
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phones → seize → unit
They found an Impact Team WhatsApp group of 17 members with a group image showing Street putting his fingers on his lips.
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Street → find → lips
Ms Whyte said: 'Paul Street created a culture of bragging and intolerance towards suspects and that he demonstrated a zero tolerance attitude to anyone on his team who disagreed with his methods and sentiments.
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who → say → methods
'This group chat, which took place through officers' personal mobile phones would be used for all sorts of communications including those that might more ordinarily take place over the police radio system.
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that → take → system
'After viewing it, you might conclude that the language used at times was uncompromising, with other officers very much adopting their sergeant's sentiments about suspects.
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officers → view → suspects
On January 17, 2020 Street was on patrol when law student Mr Kayode fled after he was caught with 58 wraps of heroin and crack.
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he → flee → heroin
Ms Whyte said: 'Paul Street gave chase on foot, with Kayode eventually trapping himself in a part of a car park that was walled off.'
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that → say → park
Mr Kayode claimed Street attacked him unprovoked but Street said he was acting in self defence and was aiming for Kayode's torso when he hit him in the face.
Ms Whyte said: 'Within moments of the arrest, the defendant had taken a photo of Mr Kayode as he lay, incapacitated, on the ground, visibly injured.
'
asserted
he → claim → ground
Paul Street sent the photograph to the Impact Team WhatsApp group at 1.49pm with a message: 'DADDY AND ALEX 1, DRUG DEALER 0'.
asserted
Street → send → message
'Paul Street further messaged saying 'HE HAD A DISAGREEMENT WITH MY BATON' and 'AND THEN MY FIST'.'
asserted
HE → message → BATON
Street also sent the photograph to his partner Fern Clark, saying: 'His front teeth are broken'.
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teeth → send → partner
PC Thomas Russell, who had just joined the Impact Team, reported the messages to a Chief Inspector.
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who → join → Inspector
Street then instructed members of the WhatsApp group to delete the chat history.
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Street → instruct → history
Mr Kayode began studying Law at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge in September 2018 but was suspended after being arrested for drug dealing in March 2019.
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Kayode → study → March
He said he had been making between £600 and £700 a day selling drugs in Cambridge.
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he → say → Cambridge
Robiul Islam, meanwhile, was arrested by Street on April 14, 2020.
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Islam → arrest → April
Ms Whyte said: 'Following the arrest, Street regularly posted messages on the Impact WhatsApp group chat.
'He referred to Islam as an 'absolute gobshite' and that he would like to smash his face in.
'
asserted
he → say → face
He told the group that they need to 'bully this pr*** relentlessly, get in his fat little head'.
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they → tell → head
…and 75 more, not listed.
The Aporia
