Former Met Pcs Jonathan Clapham and Sam Franks were dismissed in October last year after being accused of lying about smelling cannabis when they pulled over Olympic athletes Bianca Williams and Ricardo Dos Santos
Two former Metropolitan Police officers have been handed their jobs back after winning an appeal against a ruling that they lied by saying they could smell cannabis during a stop and search of British athlete Bianca Williams and her partner in 2020.
Former Met Pcs Jonathan Clapham and Sam Franks were dismissed in October last year after a disciplinary panel found they had lied about smelling the drug when they pulled over Olympic sprinter Ricardo Dos Santos and his partner Williams.
The finding has been overturned by the Police Appeals Tribunal which found the original decision was “irrational” and “inconsistent”.
Former Pcs Clapham and Franks were “dedicated, hard-working and much respected officers” whose reputations had been “ruined” by the original findings, Appeals Tribunal chairman Damien Moore said.
“Both officers did not lie.
“Both officers will now be reinstated to the Met Police.
“They should receive back-pay.”
A video of the incident, which occurred in west London, went viral on social media after it was shared by their trainer and Olympic champion Linford Christie.
They couple felt they were targeted because they are black and drive a Mercedes.
But police responded and said the vehicle had been on the wrong side of the road and refused to stop when asked.
In a message addressed to the Met Police, Mr Christie wrote: “Two of my athletes were stopped by the police today, both international athletes, both parents of a three-month-old baby who was with them and both handcuffed outside of their home.
“Can Cressida Dick or anyone please explain to me what justification the Met Police officers had in assaulting the driver, taking a mother away from her baby all without one piece of PPE and then calling the sniffer dog unit to check the car over.
“Was it the car that was suspicious or the black family in it which led to such a violent confrontation and finally an accusation of the car smelling of weed but refusing to do a roadside drug test.
“This is not the the first time this has happened. (second time in two months) And I’m sure it won’t be the last but this type of abuse of power and institutionalised racism cannot be justified or normalised any longer.”
