PC Donna Coker tried to shift blame onto innocent victim
PC Donna Coker. Picture: Met Police
A police officer has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice at a trial at Southwark Crown Court. It was determined she had submitted a misleading report about a collision that occurred in Ealing.
At around 7.30am on Sunday, 6 August 2017, she was the passenger in a marked police car responding to an emergency call being driven by PC Varinder Sehmi. The vehicle collided with another vehicle on the Uxbridge Road near the junction with Dane Road as it was being driven westbound.
A member of the public in the other car received serious injuries as a result. The victim gave evidence during the trial, describing how the crash left him trapped inside his car and requiring hospital treatment.
The incident was immediately reported to the Department of Professional Standards (DPS) and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as is the norm for such cases.
The jury at PC Coker’s trial heard how all officers who attended the incident were asked to write a statement, including PC Coker who claimed the other driver appeared to have been drunk. A DPS officer noticed a number of inconsistencies in PC Coker's statement and the statement of one other officer. This was flagged to the investigation team.
A full review took place and PC Coker was charged with perverting the course of justice on Thursday, 11 June 2020. No further action was taken against the other officer.
The Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) had also commenced an investigation regarding PC Sehmi. He was found guilty of causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, 12 March 2021. He was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and given a two-year driving ban. Following his conviction, the DPS are working on a report to decide what disciplinary action may take place.
Paul Goddard, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said, "PC Donna Coker tried to help her colleague by placing the blame for the collision onto an injured civilian driver.
"Coker’s actions were dishonest and were carried out in order to cast inaccurate smears on the other driver.”
"The prosecution was able to present video evidence, including PC Coker’s own body worn footage, which clearly showed she had barely engaged with the civilian driver – and had therefore lied when asserting in her statement that she had had a close look at him, and formed the opinion he was drunk.”
Chief Superintendent Peter Gardner, the West Area BCU Commander which covers Ealing, said, "We take any case of perverting the course of justice very seriously, not least when the individual in question is a serving police officer.
"The Jury have heard how PC Coker tailored her statement to try and absolve PC Sehmi of any wrongdoing, which goes directly against what we stand for as an organisation. We will continue to ensure officers are acting to the highest degree of professionalism and where they fall short we will be swift to investigate this. Misconduct proceedings will now follow and we await the outcome of that."
PC Coker had previously been given an award after she resuscitated a man who had suffered a heart attack behind the wheel of his car.
She will be sentenced on Monday, 19 July at the same court.
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June 22, 2021
