'Obsessively controlling and violent' Met Police officer jailed after 'campaign of abuse'
| Published date | 17 April 2024 |
| Publication title | MyLondon (England) |
Reading Crown Court officials have confirmed there was no restriction on reporting his name imposed by the judge during proceedings. Despite this, Dhanjal was anonymised in the Met Police's publication of the misconduct hearing "due to safety concerns for the officer". There was also no record of his charges, conviction, or sentence being published to the media by the Met Police or Thames Valley Police, the force jurisdiction where he was prosecuted.
When MyLondon asked the Met Police why Dhanjal had been anonymised, a spokesperson said: "The hearing was held in public, however, the Chair instructed that the officer and the victim were anonymised throughout today’s proceedings and in any subsequent publications. This is following matters highlighted to the chair prior to the hearing."
They later confirmed the matters highlighted related to Dhanjal's safety. The 'A New Met for London' plan has promised accountability, stating officers will 'strive to build trust with the public, colleagues, and partners, by being open, honest and taking ownership'.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, who is London's Police and Crime Commissioner, also previously said he is determined to 'to lead the way in terms of openness and transparency'.
Previous cases involving Met Police officers who were handed significant jail sentences -even where the victims were entitled to automatic anonymity -included publication of the charging decision against the officer involved and the outcome of the sentence. A recent example was Isaque Rodrigues-Leite, who was jailed for two years and three months for multiple offences against a woman.
After uncovering the identity of the convicted officer, MyLondon has decided to name him. MyLondon also repeatedly asked Thames Valley Police TVP for a mugshot photograph but a spokesperson told us the police force only releases mugshots on request up to a week after a sentencing hearing 'to remain contemporaneous'. This is not a legal requirement.
'Deliberate and gratuitous'
The tribunal heard Dhanjal was "obsessively controlling and violent" towards the victim, whose...
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