Celebrity police officer who asked colleague to send him female suspect's sex video so he could show 'the lads from footy' is jailed for four years

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'. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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?'. 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. 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. But Street told the jury that Mr Kayode had run at him and that he had acted in self defence. PC Williams admitted misconduct in public office after sharing sexual images of a female suspect found on her confiscated phone. He was sentenced to 16 months 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. The suspect shared her PIN code for the phone with the officer. Williams messaged Street that day that the suspect was 'quite fit' and 'described in some detail' about her performing a sexual act. After Street asked for the images, Williams sent 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'. He appears bloodied and bruised in his above mugshotThe case against Ms X never resulted in any charges being brought. 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. 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.He joined Cambridgeshire Constabulary in August 2005, and by 2021 he was a police sergeant leading an impact team at Cambourne Police Station.Anna Whyte, KC, prosecuting, said: 'Paul Street and his team were perceived to obtain impressive results, particularly in tackling serious and organised 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.'In November 2021, Street's personal and work phones were seized during an audit by an anti-corruption unit. They found an Impact Team WhatsApp group of 17 members with a group image showing Street putting his fingers on his 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.'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.'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.'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. 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.'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.'Paul Street sent the photograph to the Impact Team WhatsApp group at 1.49pm with a message: 'DADDY AND ALEX 1, DRUG DEALER 0'.'Paul Street further messaged saying 'HE HAD A DISAGREEMENT WITH MY BATON' and 'AND THEN MY FIST'.'Street also sent the photograph to his partner Fern Clark, saying: 'His front teeth are broken'.PC Thomas Russell, who had just joined the Impact Team, reported the messages to a Chief Inspector.Street then instructed members of the WhatsApp group to delete the chat 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.He said he had been making between £600 and £700 a day selling drugs in Cambridge. Robiul Islam, meanwhile, was arrested by Street on April 14, 2020.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.'He told the group that they need to 'bully this pr*** relentlessly, get in his fat little head'.'Street sent the message: 'Smash his little head in'.'After 7pm, Paul Street put in motion a police search at Mr Islam's home address. The search was authorised at 7.42pm, and after this Paul Street recorded a video of himself.'It showed Street speaking to the camera, saying 'Hello, tiny c***, we meet again.'Well we know who you are now. We're gonna go to your mum's house and rip it apart. F*** you'.On August 19, 2020 police arrested a male and a female who they believed to be involved in dealing Class A drugs.Ms Whyte said: 'The female suspect specifically warned the arresting officers that she had personal and private intimate photos on the phone, because she wanted to ensure they were not shared.'But she ultimately trusted the police to deal with her phone, and her personal material on it, properly. That trust was sadly misplaced in this case.'Street messaged PC Williams saying 'any nudes?' and Williams responded that there was a sexual video.Street replied 'this I have to see' and 'horny'.Williams said: 'Although weighty Katie is the OIC [Officer in the case] so.' The court also heard that, the following year, Street sent another message asking PC Williams if he still had the video. 'PC Williams answered with three laughing emojis and a message saying, 'I doubt it mate sorry. You exhausted all other porn?'.'PS Street replied: 'Nah just wanted to show the lads' followed by two laughing emojis.' When he was interviewed about it, Street claimed he wanted to see the images to reassure himself the woman, who was released without charge, was not the victim of exploitative behaviour. But jurors were told it was not Williams's job to discuss or share the private images, and neither was it Street's job to ask for nudes or the sex video.Giving evidence, Street admitted his messages on WhatsApp were 'poor' but said the language was 'gallows humour' and part of the culture at the time.He also told jurors that being successful in his job had made him 'arrogant'.PC Thomas Russell, who reported Street's messages about Mr Kayode, told the court he joined the impact team in autumn 2019, but regretted it almost immediately. He said: 'It wasn't what I expected, it wasn't run how I expected it to be run. I felt Mr Street led the team by fear, it was his team and he would lead the team in the way he wanted to.' Superintendent James Sutherland said he became area commander in charge of Street's team in December 2019. He said he was not aware before PC Russell's report that the impact team had a private WhatsApp group. He said: 'Taking a photograph in such circumstances was extremely unusual so I had quite an emotional reaction to seeing it. 'My impression was this smacked as akin to being a battlefield trophy. I found it very distasteful.' He said he decided not to refer the matter as gross misconduct and came up with an action plan which would mean Street being taken off the team until it was completed. In an email responding to Superintendent Sutherland's which was read to the jury, Street said that he and other officers called him 'daddy' because after his wife left him he would ring his children every night and was overheard saying 'Daddy loves you'.He said: 'I've always enjoyed humour and am happy to be the butt of the joke for healthy team morale.'Talking about the impact of his wife leaving him, he said: 'The impact team's the one consistent thing I have in my life and they supported me through one of the most life-changing events in my lifetime.'The Impact Team was and still is the main focus of my life.'The thought of this being taken away from me devastated me- the punishment of being kicked off the team plus an action plan does not match the crime.'Street said he had also been stressed at the time by a civil trial involving Tommy Robinson which attracted national news coverage. Robinson sued Cambridgeshire police for harassment after Street asked him to leave a Cambridge pub, but Robinson lost his legal action. Street said: 'Having lost my wife and children and redoing my mortgage for my children I cannot lose my role on the impact team as well. 'I feel like a trophy kill and someone being made an example of. I just hope some leniency can be shown due to my personal circumstances.' Superintendent Sutherland said he was told he had not considered Street's welfare enough and a revised action plan was produced, which allowed Street to stay on the team. Giving evidence in court, Street claimed his comments 'he had a disagreement with my baton' and 'and then my fist' was 'sarcasm'. Asked why he also sent the image to his partner Fern Clark saying 'his front teeth are broken', he said: 'I'd been dating Fern Clark around three weeks, I'd wanted her to be impressed by the job I did. 'I was excited by the arrest and that we'd caught a drug dealer but I was showing off and being arrogant and I shouldn't have been talking like that.'He said that when he said about Mr Islam that he wanted to 'smash his head in', it was a joke and he did not mean it in a violent way. 'It's gallows humour,' he said. He said he was 'absolutely sure' that his team would know messages like 'we need to bully this pr***' were a joke and that they should act within lawful boundaries. He said: 'The whole team spoke in a similar way. Some of the people in the team have been in the police longer than me, this is language that is widely used. 'The language used by the team doesn't reflect what the literal sense of the word means.' Street said that 'every team in the police force' had a WhatsApp chat at that point.He said he did not respect Supt Sutherland, who dealt with the complaint against him, because Superintendent Sutherland believes policing should not be 'police vs criminals'. 'I think it is police vs criminals, because if we don't do it nobody else will,' Street said.Asked about the letter he wrote to a superior complaining about the action taken against him, Street said it is important that men can open up about their mental health.Street denied he told his team to call him 'Daddy.'He said: 'There is absolutely no way I would tell my team to call me Daddy, absolutely not.' Ms Whyte challenged him: 'You liked being a daddy in the team.' 'I like being a daddy to my children. I was happy to be the butt of the joke amongst my team. But I didn't enjoy 'being a daddy', no.' Asked why he filmed a video where he appeared to tell Mr Islam 'hello tiny c***, we're gonna go to your mum's house and rip it apart. F*** you,' Street said he sent the video to one police officer and he did not intend for it to be shown to Mr Islam. He said the video was a joke and he was drinking wine at the time. Street denied that he requested nudes from a female suspect's phone after PC Williams said 'she's quite fit', saying: 'I didn't ask for nudes, I said were there any.' Jenni Dempster, KC, defending, said Street accepted he was 'on notice' over his messages to colleagues and that 'aggravated his position'.But she said he showed 'genuine remorse' and 'he recognises not only he's let the public down, he's let the police down and he's let his family down.'She said he had also lost the employment he carried out on leaving the police force, adding that custody would have a big impact on his two young sons, 10 and 12, of whom he had joint care following the breakdown of his marriage.Ms Dempster added that Street is regularly verbally abused by other prisoners in Belmarsh and that 'violence has been close', saying any prison sentence is going to be 'significantly more difficult for him than any other defendant'.Robert Morris, defending for Williams, said he was remorseful not for himself but for the impact on Ms X. He said his actions were 'unthinking and driven by what was a misguided and stupid desire to engage in salacious gossip.'Mr Morris said Williams was 'mortified and deeply ashamed of his actions' and ended a 16-year career as a police officer, 'a profession that he loved'. Street, of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, denied but was convicted by a jury after three hours and 48 minutes of deliberation of two charges of misconduct in public office. He denied and was cleared of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and perverting the course of justice. Judge Mark Lucraft KC sentenced Street to four years' imprisonment. Williams, also of Huntingdon, earlier admitted misconduct in public office and was sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment. Eleven other officers were investigated over their conduct arising from the 'toxic' culture Street had fostered.Of those, two resigned, one was dismissed for gross misconduct, one received a final warning, two received written warnings, and five others were dealt with for low level performance issues. Senior specialist prosecutor Lisa Rose, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'This case exposed a sustained pattern of unacceptable conduct by a police officer who abused his position of trust.'Police officers are entrusted with significant powers and are expected to uphold the highest standards at all times.'Members of the public should have confidence that any personal material obtained during an investigation will be handled lawfully and appropriately.'The actions of Paul Street and Joshua Williams represented a serious breach of that trust.'Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) director of engagement Emily Barry said: 'Paul Street's behaviour was appalling and a complete abuse of his position as a police officer.'He fostered a toxic culture in his team and instead of leading by example, he encouraged others to join in exchanging inappropriate messages – creating an environment that junior officers would find very difficult to challenge.'However, this investigation shows that officers must be courageous and call out this sort of behaviour and forces must make sure that they support and protect those that do report. The officer who reported Street should be acknowledged for standing up for what is right.'The public would also be shocked at knowing officers shared intimate photos from a woman's phone without any policing purpose and that Street made a video threatening a child who was detained in custody.'