Met Police officer kept and shared graphic crime photos of murder victim
A Metropolitan Police detective showed colleagues photos of a raped and murdered teenager for “personal gratification and boasting”, a court heard.
Detective Sergeant Jason Grafham was found guilty of gross misconduct after a hearing on Friday ruled he “compounded” the “emotional harm and grief” suffered by Sally Anne Bowman’s family by showing her photos from the scene where her naked body was found in a pool of blood.
The court at Palestra House in south London found there was “no police justification” for Grafham to have kept photographs dating back to when the 18-year-old’s body was found in 2005.
Grafham, who retired from the force the day before the trial began, was permanently banned from police work. He was also found guilty of gross misconduct for a series of sexually inappropriate and discriminatory and/or derogatory remarks.
The presiding judge, Commander Paul Trevers, said Grafham, who did not attend any part of the hearing, would have been dismissed had he not retired. It is not possible for his pension to be cut because he has not been convicted of a criminal offence.
Commander Trevers said: “The panel found that former DS Jason Grafham kept documents and photographs (of the Sally Anne Bowman case) when the police had no reason to do so.
“He showed the photos to other police officers even though it was not for policing purposes. (He) admitted to possessing and showing the photos but maintained that it was for policing purposes. The board does not accept this explanation.”
“The display (of the photographs) without any policing purpose was highly inappropriate and failed to ensure that the victim was treated with dignity.
“Even 20 years later, the emotional toll, grief and disruption to (the Bowman family’s) life remains significant, and the officer’s actions compounded that.”
Commander Trevers added that this was “entirely inconsistent with locally accepted practice” and had “significant potential to undermine confidence in police standards”.
The court previously heard that photocopies of photographs taken from the rape and murder scenes were found following a search of Grafham’s desk in December 2024.
A witness known as Miss B said she thought Grafham had kept the photos “for fun and bragging purposes”. He said he found it “highly inappropriate” and “disturbing” when he saw him showing photos of the crime scene to a colleague.
Another witness, known to the court as Miss C, said Mr Grafham’s frequent references to his work on the Sally Anne Bowman case became a “running joke” in the office.
In his defence, Grafham’s agent, Mark Scrutton, claimed he had kept the photos “for police purposes”.
He said Grafham was “incredibly proud” of his role as an exhibitor in the case that led to the conviction of Mark Dixie, who was jailed for at least 34 years for the rape and murder of Ms Bowman in 2008.
Separately, Grafham was also accused of making five sexually inappropriate remarks and three discriminatory and/or derogatory remarks to colleagues between March and December 2024.
The court heard that after the four colleagues gave evidence, on the probabilities, all sexually inappropriate statements and all but one discriminatory and/or derogatory comment were proven.
Speaking after the court delivered its findings, Detective Chief Inspector Angela Craggs, who heads the Met’s central crime specialist command, said: “Ex-DS Grafham’s actions were despicable, incomprehensible and deeply disrespectful.
“I am deeply sorry to Sally Anne Bowman’s family and loved ones for the additional pain and distress her actions have caused them.
“Grafham’s comments to colleagues were also deeply offensive and inappropriate. There is no room in the organization for those who think this type of behavior and language is acceptable.”
“We were all appalled by his behavior and grateful to colleagues who had the confidence to come forward and raise their concerns, and we were able to take swift action.”
