Met detective built shrine on Muslim colleague’s desk in ‘attempt at joke’

The officer also made ‘discriminatory and offensive remarks’, tribunal hears

Detective Sergeant Marc Tuffrey has since resigned (Getty Images)

A Metropolitan Police detective built a “shrine” on a Muslim colleague’s desk, a tribunal has heard amid a series of claims he had bullied and harassed the junior officer.

The court heard how Detective Sergeant Marc Tuffrey considered adding a photograph of Shamima Begum, who left the UK as a schoolgirl to join Islamic State in Syria, in a “highly offensive” attempt at a joke.

DS Tuffrey, who has since resigned from the force, sent “inappropriate” messages to the junior colleague – referred to as Officer A – calling her “sugar-tits”, “chocolate buttons”, “little love kitten”, and “peachy butt” in private messages.

The panel also found that DS Tuffrey made “deliberate statements intended at very least to embarrass and humiliate Officer A” in front of the rest of the team.

The former officer made “discriminatory and offensive remarks” aimed at groups including Muslims, women and the gay community, intending to “intimidate and isolate” his colleague, the tribunal heard.

In relation to the “shrine” that DS Tuffrey and another colleague build on Officer A’s desk, the Metropolitan Police misconduct panel said in its report that “no thought was given to how Officer A may react ... nor was thought given to how racially offensive this could be perceived by a Muslim officer”.

The incidents took place between October 2018 and September 2019, when Officer A was still “a relatively new member of the team”.

“The fact that there is evidence, unchallenged, that they intended to use an image of Shamima Begum is a concern for the panel — it is capable of being seen as a deliberate attempt to equate Muslims as terrorists,” the report reads.

“There can be no doubt in this panel’s view that such a plan would have been seen by Officer A to be offensive, racially discriminatory and potentially intimidating.”

The panel found DS Tuffrey’s conduct to be “intentional, deliberate, targeted and with an understanding of the potential harm such conduct might cause to Officer A”, adding that “it is clear” that the colleague “suffered harm from DS Tuffrey’s conduct”.

Commander Paul Betts of the Directorate of Professional Standards said: “This type of behaviour has absolutely no place within the Met. These offences are a blatant abuse of the trust his position as a police officer and a supervisor afforded Marc Tuffrey. The Met will be extremely disappointed at these disgraceful actions.

“I regret that DC A was subject to such abhorrent treatment that is so far away from our standards and values.

“The MPS will always investigate such allegations thoroughly, support those who report them and take appropriate action to end such behaviour by our officers or members of police staff.”