Former Police Officer Accused of Taking Selfies at Murder Scene While on Duty
A former police officer has been accused of taking selfies and inappropriate photographs while on duty at the scene where a teenager was murdered, a court has heard. Ryan Connolly, 41, who was a serving officer with Merseyside Police at the time, was guarding the cordon at the location in Belle Vale, Liverpool, where 16-year-old Daniel Gee-Jamieson was killed in 2018.
Inappropriate Photos Revealed in Court
Prosecutor Peter Wilson presented evidence to Manchester Crown Court showing that Connolly took photos of himself at the murder scene instead of performing his duties. The jury was shown images from Connolly's phone, including one selfie of him standing in his police uniform and another of him lying on the grass. While nothing sensitive was visible in these particular images, which also included pictures of police tape, the prosecution argued this behavior was unprofessional.
Connolly, a former constable from Huyton, Merseyside, denies four charges of misconduct in a public office. He was arrested in February 2020, and when his mobile phones were seized, numerous photographs were recovered from the sent folder of his WhatsApp messaging app.
Wider Pattern of Alleged Misconduct
Wilson stated that the images primarily depicted members of the public who were clearly being dealt with by Merseyside Police, as well as other officers on duty. Twenty-four photos found on his devices showed people who were detained at police stations, hospitals, or mental health premises. Some photos showed members of the public lying on hospital beds, receiving treatment, or in handcuffs.
One image showed a missing child after he was found and taken to a police station, while another showed two people who appeared to be asleep in bed. In a statement read to the court, one woman, who was shown hiding in a cupboard in a photo, said she found it degrading and upsetting.
Prosecution's Case and Defense Claims
Connolly is also accused of taking pictures containing details of force systems, suspect images, and police incident logs. The prosecution asserts that he willfully misconducted himself by taking inappropriate photographs where there was no professional need to do so, then retained and shared them. Wilson argued that Connolly's actions crossed the threshold and amounted to an abuse of the public's trust in the police.
The defendant claimed the images, taken on his personal mobile phone, were for work purposes. However, the court heard they had not been uploaded to police systems, undermining this defense. The trial is expected to last four to five days, as the jury considers whether Connolly's conduct constitutes a serious breach of professional standards.
