Met PC denies calling colleagues 'cotton-pickers'

A Metropolitan Police officer has denied an allegation that she described black officers as "cotton-pickers".

A disciplinary hearing was told that PC Mia Korell, herself a black officer, used the language when she bumped into Insp Alistair Phillips while they were both off duty in Guildford on 7 October 2022.

At the hearing in central London on Monday, a solicitor representing the Met Police, Chloe Hill, said the phrase was "grossly offensive and derogatory".

PC Korell denied using the words and told the hearing: "It is not a term that you hear often in conversation, it is not part of my vernacular."

The pair had a broader conversation before they began speaking about racism in policing, the misconduct panel heard.

PC Korell used the term to describe black officers who did not believe the Territorial Support Group (TSG) was a racist unit, the misconduct hearing was told.

Insp Phillips alleged that she asked him if he believed the TSG, which both officers were part of at the time, was racist, to which he replied he did not.

"The conversation was fairly clear," Insp Phillips told the panel. "I don't think there was any misunderstanding. I am 100% sure that was the exact phrase used.

"It is a very bizarre phrase to make up, and I have very little to gain from making a story up."

The hearing was told Insp Phillips emailed PC Korell's line manager to report her language on 17 October 2022.

PC Korell, who is studying for a PhD called On The Experiences Of Black Police Officers, told the panel she bumped into Insp Phillips after a long day of studying at the University of Surrey.

"I was anxious to get home, I was very uncomfortable," said PC Korell, who had been facing another misconduct hearing when the conversation happened.

"I was under investigation at the time, I didn't particularly want to see anyone from work, also I was very pregnant so standing up for a long time is not good."

The officer denied initiating the conversation about racism in the TSG.

"Unfortunately, I have never come across a black officer at the TSG who has said there are no issues with race and it is not racist," she told the hearing.

If the panel finds the allegation to be true, it could amount to gross misconduct and justify her dismissal, the Met Police said.

The hearing continues.

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