February 11 – ‘Tragedy Chanting’ has reared its ugly head again and following in the wake of Millwall fan’s offensive chants against Leeds last weekend, an Essex police officer has been sacked after admitting to ‘tragedy chanting’ at Liverpool fans last year.
Sergeant, Tyler Coppin, pled guilty at South Sefton Magistrates Court to a public order offence (S5 of the Public Order Act) while attending Liverpool versus Chelsea at Anfield last October during their Premier League clash.
Coppin, from Colchester, was given a three-year football banning order and ordered to pay £645 in fines and costs in December, Merseyside police said.
The, now former, policeman, was witnessed by LFC stewards “tragedy chanting” and ejected from the Lower Anfield Road stand before being arrested.
Chief Inspector Kevin Chatterton said: “This type of behaviour has no place in football. We will take action and identify those who commit hate crimes in any form, and this includes unacceptable chanting which causes distress to others.
“Merseyside Police will work to identify and bring to justice anyone found responsible for committing a hate crime.
“I hope this sends a clear message and acts as a deterrent to others that we will be put you before the courts to be prosecuted.”
On Friday, a misconduct panel chaired by the Essex police chief constable, Ben-Julian Harrington, found that Coppin had breached standards of professional behaviour in relation to honesty and integrity, authority, respect and courtesy and discreditable conduct.
He was dismissed from Essex police force without notice and will be placed on the College of Policing barred list.
Harrington said Coppin, who had previously had an unblemished career in policing, was being dismissed as the result of “a moment’s serious stupidity”, but that this was “the only appropriate outcome”
“It is clear that ex-Sgt Coppin was remorseful and may not have been aware of the impact of his words, but he has been criminally convicted of a public order offence,” the chief constable said.
“His actions will seriously undermine public trust and confidence and I must send a clear message to officers, staff and the wider public that behaviour such as this cannot and will not be tolerated in policing.
“If officers are responsible for upholding the law, it cannot be right that they break it.”
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at noc.l1739277515labto1739277515ofdlr1739277515owedi1739277515sni@o1739277515fni1739277515