A former West Midlands firefighter was jailed after taking photographs of a man who had died in a road collision and sharing the images with friends on WhatsApp. Cameron Hancel was sentenced to 20 months in prison at Wolverhampton Crown Court on October 4, 2024, after admitting misconduct in a public office. Hancel, from Rowley Regis in Sandwell, was working as a firefighter when he attended the fatal collision at Himley in Staffordshire on March 13, 2023. The victim was 38-year-old electrician Kevin Doughty.
Photographed victim using personal phone
As a first responder, Hancel had access to the crash scene after emergency services had been unable to save Mr Doughty’s life. While at the scene, Hancel used his personal mobile phone to take three photographs of Mr Doughty’s body. Within around 90 minutes of attending the collision, he sent the images to friends through WhatsApp. The messages accompanying the photographs included mocking comments and emojis which made light of Mr Doughty’s death. One person who received the images warned Hancel about circulating them.
Images discovered during police investigation
The photographs were eventually discovered when police examined the phone of someone who had received Hancel’s messages. Investigators were therefore able to establish what had been photographed and subsequently shared away from the scene. Hancel initially denied sending the pictures but later accepted responsibility. He pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office at Wolverhampton Crown Court on August 20, 2024.
Dismissed from West Midlands Fire Service
Hancel had already been dismissed from West Midlands Fire Service following his arrest in July 2023. At his sentencing hearing, his defence argued that the offending had been an isolated incident and asked the court to consider suspending any prison sentence. The court instead imposed an immediate 20-month custodial sentence. The prosecution said Hancel’s actions represented an abuse of the trust placed in him as a public servant. His role had given him privileged access to the scene of a fatal incident where he was expected to act professionally and respect the dignity and privacy of the person who had died.
Family suffered further distress
Mr Doughty’s family described the additional distress caused by discovering that photographs of his body had been taken and circulated by an emergency worker. They had already been dealing with the loss of a much-loved family member when they learned images taken at the scene had been shared privately. Hancel’s actions ultimately resulted in his conviction for misconduct in a public office and an immediate prison sentence.
Originally published by UKNIP.
