A firefighter who was sacked for taking photographs of a car accident victim’s body and sharing them on WhatsApp has been jailed for 20 months.
Cameron Hancel sent the images alongside an “offensive and mocking commentary” after a two-vehicle crash in Himley, Staffordshire, in March last year.
The 34-year-old, who was working for West Midlands Fire Service at the time of the offence, pleaded guilty to misconducting himself in public office in August.
Hancel was caught by chance after the images were found on his friend’s phone during a police inquiry into another death, which occurred around a week after the photos were sent, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard today.
Handing down the sentence, Judge Michael Chambers KC said: “Members of the public expect to be able to place their trust in members of the emergency services.”
The judge said the 34-year-old had taken pictures of Kevin Doughty, a 38-year-old electrician, lying dead in the road and then “deliberately spoke of the deceased in derogatory and offensive terms” in WhatsApp exchanges with several contacts.
“Your conduct was truly appalling and inexplicable,” he said.
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The judge added that Mr Doughty’s family members were “additionally upset and devastated” by his actions and “found it even harder to come to terms with what had happened”.
Messages written by Hancel featured laughing and smiling face emojis, the judge said.
The court heard that when one of his contacts warned him against sharing such images, Hancel replied: “I do what the f*** I want to do – no one tells me s**t.”
During the inquiry into the incident, Hancel first claimed other firefighters might have sent the messages as a prank, but later accepted he had shared them.
Hancel was dismissed from the fire service after his arrest in July last year. Prior to this, he had three years’ experience as a firefighter, the court heard.
Georgina Davies, a senior crown prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Cameron Hancel’s actions were a clear betrayal of the trust placed in him as a public servant.
“As a firefighter, he was employed to protect the public, not to exploit the tragic loss of life. Hancel’s behaviour has caused further anguish to the deceased’s family who are still mourning their unimaginable loss.”
