Female police officer, 41, is cleared of sharing offensive WhatsApp messages mocking George Floyd after judge found prosecutors failed to bring charges in time

• Pc Joann Jinks, 41, of Redditch, Worcestershire, was facing trial today
• She had been accused of sending offensive messages in June 2020
• Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram formally found her not guilty of three charges
• Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard they were laid outside relevant time limit
• Jinks’ co-defendant ex-Pc James Watts, 31, was jailed for 20 weeks in May

A female West Mercia police officer has been cleared of sending offensive messages mocking George Floyd after a judge found prosecutors failed to bring charges in time.

Pc Joann Jinks, 41, was facing trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today but Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram formally found her not guilty of three charges of sending a grossly offensive message by a public communication network following the administrative blunder and subsequent legal argument.

The court heard the Crown Prosecution Service made a decision to take no further action against Jinks, from Redditch, Worcestershire, on June 14 last year.

Pc Joann Jinks (pictured), 41, was facing trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today but Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram formally found her not guilty of three charges of sending a grossly offensive message by a public communication network following the administrative blunder and subsequent legal argument

George Floyd (pictured) was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis. Jinks has been cleared of sending offensive messages mocking Mr Floyd after a judge found prosecutors failed to bring charges in time

However, following a review of the evidence after the involvement of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), prosecutors decided she should be charged on October 18 last year – although a postal requisition was not sent until the end of March this year.

Mr Ikram found the requisition had not been made in accordance with the rules, adding: ‘The defendant cannot be tried on these three charges.’

Under the Communications Act 2003, Jinks had been accused of sending offensive messages on June 4, 5 and 10 2020 with another serving West Mercia police officer, James Watts, 31.

Ian Bridge, for Jinks, successfully argued today that the officer could not be tried as the court summons, listing the charges against her, was served some five months after the time limit expired.

Under the Communications Act 2003, Jinks (pictured) had been accused of sending offensive messages on June 4, 5 and 10 2020

Jinks’ co-defendant ex-Pc Watts (pictured at Birmingham Magistrates Court being sentenced) was jailed for 20 weeks in May after admitting 10 counts of sending a grossly offensive or menacing message by a public communication network

Finding the charges had been laid outside the relevant time limit, Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram told the court: ‘I find that the relevant date is that on which the evidence came to the knowledge of the prosecutor and that came to the knowledge of the prosecutor on 14 June.’

The judge told the officer: ‘You’re technically found not guilty and you’re free to go.’ Jinks left the court alongside her husband.

Meanwhile, Jinks’ co-defendant ex-Pc Watts was previously jailed for 20 weeks in May after admitting 10 counts of sending a grossly offensive or menacing message by a public communication network.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard he posted racist WhatsApp memes in May and June 2020, mocking the death of George Floyd – who was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis – in a group chat while serving with West Mercia Police in 2020.

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