Former firefighter Cameron Hancel has been sentenced to jail after capturing disturbing images of a deceased man from a car crash and ridiculing the victim’s weight on messaging app WhatsApp. Hancel, who now works in construction, made derogatory comments about the victim, referring to him as a ‘fat corpse,’ as he shared the upsetting photos with friends.
The incident took place when Hancel was dispatched to the scene of a fatal collision in Himley, where electrician Kevin Doughty lost his life in the accident. Hancel proceeded to take pictures of Mr. Doughty’s body and shared three of them on WhatsApp with his contacts. One photo showed the victim lying in the road with his shirt removed, and another displayed Mr. Doughty’s covered body with a limb protruding. The third picture showed the victim’s body from a different angle, with blood visible on an airbag.
During the court proceedings at Wolverhampton Crown Court, it was revealed that Hancel callously messaged his partner and a friend about the deceased man, using offensive language and even making jokes about the situation. Despite claiming he took the pictures as a coping mechanism for the stressful job, Hancel was found guilty of misconduct in public office. He admitted to taking the photographs but tried to shift the blame onto colleagues and bystanders for sharing the images.
The court heard that Hancel’s actions caused significant harm and deprived Mr. Doughty’s loved ones of the respect and dignity they deserved. His behaviour was condemned as a gross breach of trust, with Judge Michael Chambers KC denouncing his mocking commentary as ‘appalling and inexplicable.’ Consequently, Hancel was sentenced to 20 months in prison.
West Midlands Fire Service, where Hancel was previously employed, dismissed him following the incident. A spokesperson for the fire service emphasised that such actions had no place in their service and only exacerbated the anguish of the victim’s family. Hancel’s defence claimed that his actions were out of character and stemmed from a misguided attempt to deal with the traumatic nature of his job.
In conclusion, the sentencing judge noted that members of the emergency services, including firefighters like Hancel, are entrusted by the public to show integrity and respect, especially during vulnerable and distressing situations. Hancel’s disgraceful conduct not only violated this trust but also demeaned the dignity of the deceased individual.