Met police who stopped Team GB athlete in Maida Vale reinstated

PC Jonathan Clapham and PC Sam Franks appealed after a misconduct panel last October concluded they had lied about smelling cannabis when they pulled over Ms Williams and Portuguese Olympic sprinter Ricardo Dos Santos in Lanhill Road, Maida Vale, on July 4, 2020.

The police had followed the athletes as they drove back from training with their baby son, then three months old, in the back seat of their Mercedes.

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The disciplinary panel finding was overturned by the Police Appeals Tribunal today (October 4), which found the original decision was “irrational” and “inconsistent”.

The panel chair Damien Moore found that the officers were "dedicated, hard-working and much-respected’, that they did not lie and that their reputations had been ‘ruined’ by the original findings".

Olympic sprinter Ricardo Dos Santos leaving the International Dispute Resolution Centre after Met officers who 'lied' given their jobs back (Image: James Manning/PA)

Reading the decision of the panel, Mr Moore said: “Both officers did not lie. Both officers will now be reinstated to the Met Police.

“They should receive back-pay.

“The evidence was not good enough or strong enough to allow such a devastating conclusion,” the panel of two men and one woman concluded.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jon Savell said: “We know this has been an overly lengthy and horrendous process for PC Clapham and PC Franks, as well as their families and colleagues.

"The original, independently-chaired panel found the officers were dishonest, which the PAT has now overturned as irrational.

“We also recognise the impact this case has had on all involved, and have previously apologised to Mr Dos Santos and Ms Williams for the distress caused during this incident.

"Ultimately, the evidence has shown that the stop and search and the actions of the officers did not amount to misconduct. However, stop and search is most effective when used with the trust and confidence of Londoners.

“The upcoming launch of our new stop and search charter, co-written by Londoners, is helping us greatly with this work.”

During the 2023 disciplinary hearing, the IOPC suggested all four officers at the scene had lied about smelling cannabis, but the panel upheld the allegations only against Pcs Clapham and Franks.

On Thursday the Police Appeals Tribunal hearing was told the original decision had been “inherently unreasonable”.

Hugh Davies, representing Clapham, said the officers had “every reason to suspect criminality” when they pulled Dos Santos over.

Mr Davies said another officer at the scene had smelled cannabis, but was not found to have lied.

During the incident, officers handcuffed the couple and they were searched on suspicion of having drugs and weapons, but nothing was found.

The force came under heavy criticism after footage of the stop was posted on social media, showing a distressed Williams who was concerned about being separated from her baby.

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Dos Santos said: “The appeal decision is disappointing.

“Our drive home from training in 2020, with our baby, should never have turned into a violent incident where we were wrongly accused of smelling of drugs.

“We are professional athletes, we pride ourselves on not doing drugs.

“The actions and allegations of the officers were completely unacceptable.

“The IOPC were clear that all four officers lied.”

He added: “We shall challenge today’s outcome in the civil courts.”

Jules Carey of Bindmans LLP, which represents Ms Williams and Mr Dos Santos, said: “It is unsurprising that the decision of the Misconduct Panel was overturned.

“The panel got itself into a complete mess as soon as they settled on the bizarre view that the streets of London smell of cannabis.

“The complaint system has failed again and it will be for the civil courts to address this result”.

Additional reporting from PA.