Lady C calls for PC sacked for calling her 'something rhyming with hunt' to be reinstated

'Absolutely outrageous': Lady C argued that it is an issue of 'free speech'
ITV/Rex Shutterstock
Chloe Chaplain16 August 2016

Lady C has dubbed it “outrageous” that a police officer who called her “something rhyming with hunt” had been sacked for tweeting abuse to celebrities.

PC Graham Wise, 31, was dismissed from Cleveland Police after he launched a tirade of online abuse against TV show stars.

He tweeted that an estate on the Benefits Street show, where he had policed, should be bulldozed with "people still inside it", that former Eastenders star Danniella Westbrook was a "washed up cokehead with one nostril" and described reality TV star Gemma Collins as a "fat c***".

PC Wise was found guilty of gross misconduct during a hearing and was sacked after he admitted sending some of the offensive messages from the police canteen while on breaks.

Free speech: Lady Colin Campbell argued he should not be punished for things he said whilst off-duty 
Yui Mok/PA Wire

But reality star Lady Colin Campbell has said he should not have been sacked as long as his comments were not made whilst on duty.

She said: "I think it's absolutely outrageous. Sorry, but that poor man has been deprived of his livelihood for expressing his opinion.

"If he has a low opinion of somebody in the public eye then he's entitled to it, as long, of course, that he doesn't do it while he's on duty.

Online abuse: PC Wise tweeted abuse to Eastenders star Danniella Westbrook 
Steve Meddle/ITV/Rex Shutterstock

"It is actually unbelievable that somebody would be deprived of his livelihood for expressing an opinion that he's entitled to."

Asked about one post by PC Wise - which said: "Why is everyone scared to say Lady C is a c***" - she said: "I couldn't care less.

"He's entitled to think I'm something rhyming with hunt. He's entitled to his opinion. It's not one that I agree with."

She added: "I think that we have strayed into very dangerous territory where people are not allowed to express a negative opinion. It is totally about free speech."

Twitter insults: He labelled reality star Gemma Collins as a fat c*** 
Channel 5

Lady C said she would be the first to complain if a police officer acted with prejudice towards her during the course of his or her duties.

But she added: "I think we can't allow society to drift into such censorship. I think it's very dangerous and very destructive of everybody's rights, freedoms and liberties."

Lady C said: "I think he should be reinstated."

The officer had previously worked in Stockton, Teesside, and had policed the Tilery estate where Benefits Street was filmed.

He tweeted the Gazette newspaper saying: "Bulldoze it, preferably with the majority of people still inside it."

He tweeted about a character from the reality show Benefits By the Sea, saying: "Hopefully by the end of the show Disco Dave will be dead.”

PC Wise, who has a long-term partner and a son, looked deflated when he was told he was to be immediately dismissed for gross misconduct. He told investigators he had been "absolutely stupid".

After the hearing temporary detective chief inspector, Warren Shepheard, said: "Police officers are well aware of the standards that the force and communities rightly expect of them.

"Cases such as this erode the trust and confidence that members of the public have in the police service.

"It also tarnishes the reputation of our wider workforce, who are hardworking and dedicated - risking their own lives to save others."

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