A racist former police officer did not resign from his job until long after pleading guilty to a “campaign” of abuse directed at his ex-girlfriend.

The Met Police has denounced PC Thomas Phillips, who was sentenced to 71 days in prison this afternoon (Friday, August 25) after sending WhatsApp messages referring to a fellow Met Police officer as a “n****r” and a “mongrel”.

Phillips denied his crimes until a trial was imminent, telling investigators that his ex-girlfriend Samantha Ryan and her new boyfriend Danny Gobin had fabricated the messages.

He eventually changed his pleas to guilty in late July regarding five counts of sending a grossly offensive/obscene/inappropriate message using a public communication network.

But the Met has confirmed Phillips only resigned on August 15 – months after his lawyer claimed in court that he had already admitted his guilt.

“A misconduct hearing will take place at the earliest opportunity,” a force spokesperson said.

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Colin Banham, mitigating against accusations that his client had deliberately dragged the proceedings out with his denials as a way of continuing to exercise control over his ex-girlfriend, claimed Phillips indicated he would plead guilty back in June.

Judge Louisa Cieciora found Phillips’s false allegations that his victims had framed him were “mainly” responsible for delays in his case.

Mr Gobin told Westminster Magistrates’ Court in an emotional victim impact statement: "He wasted the taxpayers' money and also the court's time, knowing that he sent the messages."

Mr Banham also claimed Phillips was not necessarily a racist and had lashed out because “his whole world was falling apart”.

He told Judge Cieciora that sending Phillips to prison “would destroy him”.

Your Local Guardian: PC Thomas Phillips denied his crimes for two years before finally pleading guilty as his trial nearedPC Thomas Phillips denied his crimes for two years before finally pleading guilty as his trial neared (Image: Met Police)

The court heard Phillips’s ex-girlfriend, police officer Ms Ryan, had left him and begun a new relationship with another police officer, Mr Gobin.

Mr Gobin was the subject of the racist messages and Ms Ryan was the recipient.

Prosecutor Louise Oakley said Phillips sent “a campaign” of offensive messages.

Judge Cieciora told Phillips: “I do not diminish the very real impact on your mental health that your role and your work had, and I accept that you too were affected by the breakdown of your relationship.

“However, this did not affect your ability to exercise appropriate judgement, to take rational choices or to understand the nature and consequences of your actions.”

“An appropriate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody,” she told him. “I’m not persuaded that there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.”

DCI Andrew Featherstone, responsible for Met Intelligence, said: “Phillips’s actions were completely unacceptable and there is no place for that behaviour in the Met.

“The content of his messages do not reflect the views of the vast majority of officers who work tirelessly every day to deliver for the people of London.”