James Watts, was working as a probation officer with West Mercia Police when he posted the offensive footage after a US police officer killed Mr Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nine and a half minutes.

He previously pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sending grossly insulting messages in a group chat.

James Watts Age

James Watts is 31 years old.

James Watts, who admitted to sharing racist memes and jokes with his friends on WhatsApp that mocked the death of George Floyd, has been sentenced to 20 weeks in prison

A police officer who admitted to sharing racist memes and jokes with friends on WhatsApp that mocked the death of George Floyd has been sentenced to 20 weeks in prison.

He previously pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sending grossly insulting messages in a group chat.The former police officer was sentenced today to 20 weeks in prison.His name was also added to the Police College’s ban list, which means he cannot serve in any nationwide policing duties for life.

Watts, from Castle Bromwich in Birmingham, sent racially discriminatory messages and images to his personal phone in May and June 2020.

Messages contained content linked to the brutal murder of Mr. Floyd

The messages included content linked to the brutal murder of Mr. Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which triggered a worldwide wave of Black Lives Matter protests.The four ‘memes’ posted by Watts referred to the American man kneeling down by police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020.

It featured depictions of a kneeling mat adorned with the face of George Floyd, an allegation that someone had purchased a Floyd t-shirt whose neck was too tight to breathe.Other images show a white dog wearing Ku Klux Klan clothing and a black dog with a noose around its neck.

Another image, adapted from the movie Jaws, where the character says, ‘We’ll need a bigger boat’, featured a man with an abnormally large neck and the emphasis on ‘We’ll need a bigger knee’.Other images mocked the size of black men’s genitals.

The messages came to light in June of that year and the matter was referred to the Independent Police Conduct Office (IOPC).Watts resigned from his post as the investigation continued.

Deputy Attorney General Tanweer Ikram, who sentenced him to 20 weeks in prison today, said: “The truth is you continued to send extremely offensive messages for over a month.’This goes beyond stupidity and stupidity. You were a prison officer before and I have no doubt that you will be trained in diversity and inclusion in this role.

‘You were (at the time) a police officer, someone the public looked to to uphold the law.

You have shaken the public’s trust in the police. Your behavior discredits the criminal justice system as a whole. You are there to protect the public and enforce the law. What you did was the opposite.

‘These were the words you chose to use – words like p*ki. You experienced your racism with the words you used.’Your racial hostility makes this crime so serious that only an immediate jail sentence will suffice.’Defense attorney Peter Arnold said of his client: “He clearly had no intention of offending this man. He was blind to the crime he had caused.

‘None of the other band members found an ounce of racism in him.’

Speaking after today’s hearing, West Mercia Deputy Chief Constable Julian Moss said: “I welcome the sentence handed down today and the prison sentence that demonstrates the seriousness of the crime.This case demonstrates our determination to root out any form of racist behavior on or off duty. These attitudes, these behaviors have absolutely no place in the West Mercia Police.

James Watts disappointed the communities he served and his colleagues with his severely offensive behavior. The force will not tolerate this, our officers will not tolerate it, I will not tolerate it.’

Following the sentencing, IOPC regional director Derrick Campbell said: “The sharing of such images by a service officer, some of whom mocked the death of George Floyd, must have caused significant reputational damage to the police force.

‘The content of these messages will offend many, both inside and outside the police force.“Today’s conclusion should be a clear reminder that this behavior, especially by a police officer, is unacceptable.’It is important for officers to understand that it is unimportant whether such activity occurs on or off duty or on a private or public social media network – the behavior is likely to face serious disciplinary or criminal consequences.’