The Corrupt Cop Working With Gangster BF Gets 4 Years in Prison. Choni Kenny Tells Her Story

um got into got into a relationship and things just spiralled out of control. He probably saw me coming, didn't he? Let's face it. >> Do you feel as if he was using you or was he did he have feelings also? >> No, he's definitely using me cuz I wasn't the only girl. And I'll be honest, it was easier to say yes than it was to say no to him. >> How many chances did you have? >> I think it was around 13. I reported a colleague for um sexual misconduct in the workplace >> or suicide or anything when you >> in the cells in the police station. Yeah, definitely. How was I going to make it out of that that police cell? And I remember they'd given me a hand towel in the custody suite and there was a fray on the towel and I thought if I just rip that towel and tie it as tight as I can around my neck, no one would ever know. You can now follow me in all my social media platforms to find out who my latest guest will be. And don't forget to click the subscribe button and the notifications bell so you're notified for when my next podcast goes live. And boom, we're on. And today's guest, I've got Shony. Shy, how are we? >> I'm great. How are you? >> Very well, thank you. Thanks for coming on the show. So, mad story. 5 years in prison. Had a relationship with an inmate. You were a prison officer. >> No, police officer. >> Police officer. Sorry. Um, yeah, you get done and yeah, basically that's why you're here to tell your tale. Obviously on the media, you do your social media stuff as well. you're trying to build your business, which we can touch on. But before we get into all the madness, I always like to go back to the start of my guest to get more of a bit of understanding about you, where you grew up, and how it all began. [snorts] >> Um, so I actually grew up from being very young on a council estate. Um, absolutely loved it. It was the best. Always playing out with people, always got the best bikes, you know, just knocking about with like all your neighbors and and their kids. And then mom and dad actually moved all of us out of the area. So we grew up in within Shaw and then we moved to still the same post code but just a little bit further a field. And it was a lot nicer. And I had a really good upbringing. I'm one of four. I'm the youngest of four. And I actually feel like that's probably where I went wrong. >> Oh boy. >> Because I was the golden child. I could I could never do any wrong because everyone had always done worse above me. So nothing was nothing was I could never compare to them, you know, like I kind of got away with got away with murder kind of thing. And then uh yeah, went to a really good school. Um lovely primary school, lovely high school and everything was on on the up for me really. I didn't didn't really have any adverse sort of like situations coming my way until I became independent and started messing about with boys. >> Bastards. What did you do after school? >> Um, when I first left school, I went straight into hairdressing. So, I kind of knew that I wanted to be in that industry, but didn't know to what extreme. I feel like when you're a kid, you're just forced to to do something and, you know, just like you're forced to grow some wings and make money. And then um that's when I started getting well, that's when I started to enjoy going out, socializing, drinking on the park, knocking about with my mates. And I hated the fact that I worked in the hairdressing industry and I didn't have a weekend off. So I left. And then I thought, I want a 9 to5. Then I applied for a job in a solicitors and I got it and that's where my 9 to5 and that sort of like legal work came from working in that solicitors. >> How did you end up joining the corporals then? >> I got made redundant from the solicitors and I thought what can I try next? >> What age? >> 21. >> Young. >> Yeah. I got made redundant. I was like the world's my oyster. what should I do next? [clears throat] And it was never my intention to join the police. I didn't I wasn't one of those kids that grew up like when I wake when I grow up I want to be a police officer. And then nobody can ever get in first time. Nobody can ever get in. It's like so rare. And I thought I'll just have a crack at it. I'm probably not going to get in anyway, so why not? Joined. Did the application process and before I knew it, I was wearing a fucking uniform. I didn't realize how it all just happened in the in like the blink of an eye and then yeah was in the job at 22. >> What was the training like? >> Um it's very textbook. It's very much there's like a class of 20 all sat around learning the ins and outs of the law, the dos and the don'ts. And there's a couple of exams and that's that's it really in terms of like the in terms of knowing the law that's kind of it and you just refer back to these textbook scenarios and situations. But realistically with that kind of job role it's more throw you in the deep end and see how you react to it. There is no right or wrong way of dealing with something cuz in I'd say like in an emergency it's fight or flight isn't it? >> Mhm. So they can't teach you how to deal with that because you don't know how your body's going to respond to it. >> What did you do when you passed then? >> As in in the >> test for the coppers. >> What did you pass your test? You do like a what's the running test? The bleak test. Yeah. Yeah. The ble test. >> That's pretty easy though. >> Yeah. I mean um Yeah, that was that was quite straightforward. You do your you do your initial training, then you do your fitness test. You have to do that before you pass though. You don't get passed out until you've until you've done your fitness test and your medical and things like that. And then you do your 20 weeks training classroom based. And then you do I think it's another 20 weeks with sort of like a tutor, you know, side by side with someone just shadowing them. But that's out on the streets dealing with real life incidents. Um, and that's kind of like how you learn to become or or mold into the right person for the job. >> What was your first arrest? >> Um, I think it was section 18. Section 18. Quite a violent job on a night shift actually. And I was absolutely shitting myself. >> Yeah, it was pretty serious that one actually. >> It's a very negative job. I was grow grown up to hate the coppers and always say this, but once I started interviewing them, understanding their stories, what they see on a daily basis is very dark for somebody to choose that lifestyle because it fucks so many of the coppers up. A lot of them struggling with drink and drugs and >> um a lot of affairs inside the police. So, it's a very dark job and people don't we don't appreciate it enough. That's listen, there's a lot of corrupt coppers as well. you get corruption, all walks of life, but people don't realize the extent that people have to what they have to go through. It's one of the most negative jobs in the world to seeing so many different things. >> I've only recently just started having therapy for the things [clears throat] that I've dealt with because I remember there was nights where I'd wake up in panic, sweating, crying, knowing that there was nothing I could have done to change that situation at the time. Um, and you don't get offered the right help and support when you're in there. there isn't there isn't enough support for people in that job role um when they deal with traumatic experiences. But then again, I suppose when I joined that job, it was more a case of like don't be a snowflake, you know? You can't let it you can't let it show that you're upset or you can't you can't show that a job's affected you cuz then you don't want to look like you're weak. You're the weak one in the pack. You just kind of deal with it all. But I remember one one time I dealt with an incident and I remember coming home, getting in my car, finishing my shift. It was the longest day of my life. And I didn't know this job had affected me as much as it did. I got in the car. I drove home in silence. I rang my sister and it must have been about 2:00 in the morning. She answered panicking and I just cried for about half an hour. The phone was silent. She didn't speak. I didn't speak and I just cried. And then that was it. I got up the next day, went straight back to work. >> Yeah. I don't think there's enough protection or enough therapy. It's just there's just a number. I interviewed a man. He was an undercover pedophile. He went undercover for 20 years. And you get people who grade >> the sort of content as well. Like, but after a few years, >> they were just eating a lunch graing it because they became so desensitized and that's a scary thing >> to do, especially with the content that they're watching. What's the worst thing you've seen while you being a copper? >> Oh gosh, I don't think you I don't think anyone could answer that question. I don't think there's ever going to be a job which you could pinpoint and say that was the worst one I've ever done. I think there's emotions attached to every single different job role that job that you attend. Um, for me it was very much vulnerable kids, sex offenders. They they that I could deal with anything presented. But when you asked me to deal with a job like that, yeah, I found that probably the most the hardest kind of job ro to deal with because nine times out I mean I've never dealt with a child abuser who is aggressive or defensive about what they've done. And that scares me the mo that scared me the most because you were presented with someone who was just so calm and just so it was almost as if they were desensitized themselves, you know, and and for me, I think that scares me the most because I've always said in that in that job role, there is people out there that are career criminals. There's people out there like me that got caught up and ended up kneede in. And then there's there's people who, you know, for example, shoplifterss, they can go out, they've got a not ultimately they've got a habit that they have to feed. So they're going out and doing what they can to provide cash for their for their addiction. Whereas and if if worse comes to worse where, you know, they they do they do have a turning point, they do go to rehab, they get the help, they become clean, they live a sober lifestyle, they better themsel, they get the accommodation they they need, then that's on them. But then pedophiles and sex offenders, it's got to be a chemical imbalance because they can't change who they are sexually attracted to. And that's the scariest thing because they're out there on the streets and nobody knows. >> Yeah. They're cold. >> Nobody knows. >> You could walk past however many in a day and you would never know. Whereas the people out there that environmentally look like they commit crime, you know, your shoplifterss, your the people who out who are out there that you might walk past on the street who have got a disadvantage in life. You can tell, you know, there's clearly something not there's clearly something wrong in their life because they don't conform to society where people are walking down the road, going to the job, going to the 9 to5, doing this, doing that. Whereas you walk past a child abuser and you just would never know and that's so scary. >> How long were you in the job for? >> I think it was about three three years. Three and a half years. >> Did you enjoy it? >> I did like the job. Yeah, I enjoyed the job. Um I think it's because every day was different. And the difficulty in a job role like that for me was I came from, like I said, a council estate where you're brought up to hate the police. You don't speak to the police, you don't help the police, you don't do anything like that. So, I was the black sheep. I was the odd one out. And when I joined the force, nobody liked me. Everyone had something to say about me. But that that was okay. And then I kind of took it upon myself to prove other people wrong that not every police officer is the same. But maybe that's where I went wrong because I was relatable to some people. So, how did it all change then? >> Um, got into got into a relationship and things just spiraled out of control. >> Did you meet him on the job? >> No, I knew him before the job. Um, things spiraled out of control and sadly I let my emotions get the better of me when I ought to have known better. difficult though, isn't it? >> Of course it is. How many how many times have you been caught up in a relationship yourself where what is the right what is there is no textbook on how to live life is there when it comes to relationships and dealing with people and things like that and if there was then I'm sure the world would probably a much be a much better place. >> So how long were you with him for? >> Not long. I mean, it was very casual at the start. It was very much just like on and off, seeing each other here and there. Um, and it I think for me it was very much I was I was kind of like attracted to the love bombing. I was attracted to the oh, how's your day been? How's this? And you know that's the bare minimum. But I never knew that at the time. So now I know what the bare minimum is. I'd never settle for anything less. But at the time when you are at a disadvantage as in you know I was never I was always the ugly duck duckling and I was always the one that never stood out in the friendship group and for me to get that type of attention felt like a lot and I fell for it straight away. >> You fell for the basics. >> But but little did I know that >> he probably saw me coming, didn't he? Let's face it. Do you feel as if he was using you or was he did he have feelings also? >> No, he was definitely using me cuz I wasn't the only girl >> and the coppers. >> Um there had been a prison officer in the past that I'd only found out a couple of weeks before I was due to appear on trial. >> So he was shagging a prison officer in prison or outside. Um >> bit of both I think. I don't know the ins and outs so I'm not going to speak on it. >> So you fell in love with a a criminal. So he had previous before He's been and out of prison. >> Yeah. >> Were you getting investigated? >> I didn't know at the time. I didn't know at the time. Um it was only until I got the knock on the door that I knew. >> What' they say? >> Under arrest. >> What was the charge? >> Misconduct in a public office. >> So, he was getting you to do things like what? Well, it all it all started from me being me wanting to know the ins and outs of his of his background and not having the bollocks to ask him for the sake of my career and went about it the wrong way and searched searched the systems. There you go. That's it. That's misconduct, isn't it? >> You searched the systems to find out his background. >> Yeah. >> So, he wasn't asking you if they got surveillance or >> But then then it spiraled. Then it continued. The questions were coming and it was all moving. It was all moving really fast. And I'll be honest, it was easier to say yes than it was to say no to him. >> Why? >> Sadly, um, he was extremely manipulative. He was very much I think I'd I'd like to say at times I was probably in fear of what the outcome could have been. It was very much if if I said no then he wouldn't stop asking until I said yeah and it was easier for me to say yes at the time. >> How long did I go on for? >> Best part of a year. >> So what was he saying? So was he getting you to do things and you were just agreeing? How many things did you do? >> Oh, I couldn't give you the answer to that. Couldn't give you the answer to that. >> So you were giving him information? nothing to do with nothing to do with the public, nothing to do with incidents that he might have been involved in. There was well, there was one, but it was what he was in jail for at the time, and I simply told him that he needed to plead guilty because he'd done something wrong, which he did. But again, apparently that's me putting him at an advantage, isn't it? >> So, the copers come knocking. What you thinking then? You're in love. You've got your job. Life seems pretty good. And then did they come through your door? I wasn't with him at this time either when they come when they come and got me. >> Did he stick you in? >> That's >> how do they know then? >> You tell me. That's the question to be >> when So when you go into the system, imagine you need to put in codes. >> Yeah, it's your it's your footprint. [clears throat] >> It's your login, isn't it? It's your footprint on on that on that system >> um for you to be able to your caller number is everywhere. So, what is the laws if a police officer's going with a a drug dealer but she doesn't know or going someone who's active? What is the laws on that? >> So, you're supposed to um notify your employer of an associate. So, that's another account of mine. I failed to notify my employers that I was engaging in a relationship with him. >> That's guilty then. >> Straight away, you're fucked. >> Of course. Yeah. But there's never been a stage where I've disputed the fact that I'm guilty of misconduct in a public office. The only time, the only things I've ever not agreed with is it wasn't just misconduct they came for. It was money laundering. Apparently, I had 50 grand in cash under my bed. It was um there was quite a number of offenses that they had me in they had arrested me for at the time, but I knew I wasn't guilty of any of those things because I'd never done such I'd never done anything like that. Part of me now feels like had they arrested me on those grounds to get the warrant they needed from the courts because they had me under surveillance for six months before they come and arrested me and all of these offenses that they tried to throw at me. They would have known before they arrested me for those offenses I wasn't guilty of them. If I had 50 grand in cash under my bed should I not have been doing more than what they saw on surveillance cuz all they saw was a working girl going to and from work, going to the gym and going home. How many charges did you have? I >> I think it was around 13. Oh, >> that's a lot. >> So, what you thinking then when you find out you've get 13 charges? >> Oh, I absolutely shit myself. I remember they came through the door at the time and they um I remember it clear as day. He came through and I just looked at him and I thought, what's going on? didn't didn't know who they were. They were just none of them were in uniform. Didn't know who they were. Next thing I just heard, "You're under arrest." And as soon as I heard those words, everything was silent. It was like tunnel vision. I couldn't hear anything he was saying. And then um they did a weak house search and put me in a van. >> Did you get reminded? >> No. So, I got to custody and that's when I heard I heard the officer relay the charges onto the custody sergeant and that's when I heard everything properly then and I remember being I remember being put in a cell that day. I'd already worked a shift before they come and arrested me and they had arrested I'd arrested people at that job that I'd been to and they were in the same custody suit as me that day. >> How many people >> we'd arrest we dealt with? someone we dealt with an incident that day >> and that was the custody same custody suite we took that person to that day and then they took me there. >> So you were working the day you got the jail went to court you got bail? >> Um I got bedded down and waited for my solicitor. I couldn't have the solicitor I wanted because there was a conflict of interest because I had previously reported a colleague for an offense and he was dealing with that case. So, I couldn't use that solicitor. >> What happened there? >> I reported a colleague for um sexual misconduct in the workplace. >> On who? >> Myself. >> And he was a copper. Was he a sergeant? What was he? >> Just a serving officer. Well, it's not just is it, but yeah, serving officer. >> So, you reported him. What happened with that? Um, he was due to I was due to appear in court and provide evidence. However, upon my situation I found myself in, I received a call from from the force saying that he was being unified cuz I was no longer credible. >> So that's what he could he could have been the person basically that stuck you in. >> Maybe >> you were doing wrong anyway. So you're guilty. >> Yeah. >> But for someone to cover their own ass, the levels that they can go to is pretty deep. But that's also a possibility. You probably thought about that yourself. >> The amount of times I I find myself sitting and thinking about it still to this day because it's something you'll never know. But it's that's the thing, isn't it, with like the human brain, you always try and figure something out that you need to know the answer to. But even if someone said to me it was me, it's done now, isn't it? >> It's done. And it's as much as I regret it happening because I would never have wanted to put my family through what I did, I wouldn't be where I am now had I have not had I have not been through what I've been through. >> So you've got charged, you get then get suspended. >> Yeah. >> How does it work? >> Um you get suspended and you you get everything taken from you so you can't turn up at the police station or anything like that. Um, and you just kind of left in limbo until you find something out. >> How long did it take to go to trial? >> Two years. >> So, you're suspended from 2 years? >> Yeah, I'd handed my resignation in prior to that. >> Was it in the media at this point? >> Yeah, straight away. >> What did the media say? >> Um, to be honest, at first was quite lucky because no one would search me and there was other pressing things in the media at the time, such as like Lucy Leby. He was massive in the media at the time. So, she took precedent really. Um, there was loads of things going on that didn't bring my name. I was still there if he searched me, but I wasn't front page like I have been. Um, and then they just said things like I'd been arrested. I've been involved in an incident and I've been arrested and I was due to appear in court on such and such date. And then the media was actually okay at this time, but then it was when I had been sent to jail that the media got quite bad. >> That's what they do. >> I know. >> That's what they do. >> I know. >> The fuckers. I just wish I just wish that media outlets would sit down and and read real sentencing remarks before they put what they think is is factual in the papers. Because if you read my if you read if you type my name in on Google, you'd think I was the world's worst person ever. But it's not facts. If you read the sentence in remarks, they don't compare. >> Yeah, but that's what they do. Of course, >> they don't print your side. They don't print your cross examination. You They don't print any of that shit. They just think, "Let's fuck him over. Let's get that headline." Bang, bang, bang. >> There's always three sides to the tail, both sides. And then there's the truth. How long was your trial for? >> Um, I ended up putting a guilty plea in two weeks before on my pre-trial preparation hearing. >> Take a duel. >> Um, putting a basis of plea, put in mitigating factors. The judge had said if he didn't agree to that, he would send it to a Newton hearing where it was just me and him and defense. And he actually sent us away. I mean, to be honest with you, in in all fairness, that judge that handled my case, he couldn't have handled it any better. I couldn't have asked for someone more lenient. As much as I wish he never sent me to jail, I understand that I had to go to jail because you have to they had to make an example of me, didn't they? he had to prove that a corrupt police officer went to prison. Um he was really fair and he just said, "I don't want to have to take this to a trial. Go away and have an extra two weeks to decide what what you want to do out of this." CPS came um together with my defense and agreed the basis of playing dropped some some charges. >> Did you know you were going to get a five? I didn't know to what extreme. >> What were you thinking? >> What were you thinking you would get? >> Um, there was different. It's all based on case law, isn't it? And the thing with misconduct is it carries life imprisonment. So, you don't know what you don't know what extreme you're going to get out of that. You could get there's people out there getting suspended. There's people out there getting 12. There's people out there getting 15 years. It's all It's all dependent on the judge on the day. >> So, what are you thinking when you get a five? >> Um, I was lucky enough to then have it reduced. So, I got I got 15% credit in the end for the plea that I put in um prior to trial, but the judge took into consideration the fact that upon my first appearance, I couldn't put a plea in because the police hadn't uploaded any evidence. So because they had not uploaded any evidence, I was not in a position to give the judge on the day um a plea and also I probably wouldn't have done it at that stage anyway because you don't know what's you're not going to go guilty to everything are you if you don't know what's available. Um and that happened on two occasions I think. So then when I got sentenced the judge initially said to me I can see that you've not been in a position to put a play in and had you have been able to do that at the time you would have got more than 15% more than 10 I think he said so he gave me 15 it got reduced to 3 years nine in the end >> which is probably a brilliant outcome because I think is it anything under the four year threshold >> it's half >> can't remember what it is when you >> anything is that what it is under a certain threshold, you serve a certain time. I think you're eligible to serve was it 40% of the time for me. >> Um, and yeah, I did I did the I did 40% of that in total. >> What you thinking? You're on the bus to prison. >> Had my head in my hands. Had my head in my hands. I had a tailored suit on rocking up to jail like that. And I remember my first day when I got there in reception, this um this other girl was had arrived. She wasn't on the same bus as me, but she come at the same time and she was calling me miss as staff and I was like, [laughter] I'm in the same shoes as you be. >> So yeah. >> What was your mom and dad saying? >> Oh, my poor mom broke a heart. Broke a heart. Of course it broke a heart. Who's who wants to know that their child's gone to jail? I didn't let her come to any of my my court hearings. And that one time on my way on my way back from the first hearing, she rang me and she said, "Whatever you do, don't look at the newspapers." She'd already seen it before I'd got back, before I'd even left court. They were they were running at me like I was a celebrity from all angles, hiding behind statues. They were everywhere >> for photos. What was the first night in the prison like for you? Do >> you know what? It's like a baby. >> It's because you're done. You know what's happening now. >> Bearing in mind I'd been arrested and been on bail for 2 years. It was the end. Even though it was the shittiest outcome ever, it was the end. >> So, you slept well. How were you treated in there? By being a copper. So, when I first got there, the uh the officer said to me, "You you need to lie about why you're in jail." And I said, "Why?" And he said, "Because you're a he said, you're you're a copper." And I was like, "Right." And he was like, "So, do you really think it's going to go down very well if you're in here?" And I was like, "Well, I'm not lying." And he said, "If you don't lie," he said, "It could turn it could turn bad for you." And um I remember thinking, "Fuck sake, what am I going to say to people?" And that night I went to sleep. I remember I I went to sleep and the next day you wake up and there's just a tiny little window and I opened my eyes. Well, I'd say I went to sleep. I felt like I'd slept well, but I felt like I'd been awake the whole night. Didn't know what time it was. turned on the TV that was in there to see what time it was on BBC News and uh there I was on the news, flicked it over ITV. I was there on mugsh shot. [clears throat] >> Put on the radio. I was all over BBC radio. I'd made it to every single news radio, anything that was possible. I'd made it all there. So realistically it the job had been done for me because everyone in there had seen me on the news. >> So I wouldn't lie. >> Yeah. I don't think it's Once you lie, people then get more paranoid of what you're lying about. >> Exactly. >> I don't think people in the female prison are asked if if it was a male prison, they would have to go on numbers. They would have to go on protection. Female prisons, I don't think it's that extreme. >> And you know what's funny? Because obviously on social media now, I've kind of come away from talking about jail a little bit because I'm just not really I don't I don't that's not my just because I've been there. It's not my personality. You know what I mean? I'm completely different to just having spent some time in jail. But um I get a lot of men hating on me saying you were defer on a VP wing. You would have got you would have got chopped up if you weren't. >> No. >> And it's nothing like that in a women's jail. >> Nothing like that. Who are we in with? >> Um, there's quite a lot of people in there that have got high well high-profile cases. Just a lot of like baby killers. >> Yeah, a lot of female baby killers. >> What's it like being around them? >> It was hard. It was hard because I think for me the expectations were a little bit different. I'd gone in as a professional body and I was there was an expectation of me to still be respectful, still be, you know, not cause problems and [snorts] and um ultimately I'd always been in the police. I'd kind of been trained to be pro-social. So, no matter what your opinion is, keep it to yourself. Don't don't forecast your opinion on others. And um I remember my I remember I got padded up and I didn't know this at the time. I got padded up with someone and I was on the bottom bunk and she was on I was on the top bunk, she was on the bottom and she never came out. She never ever came out ever and I thought there must be something not right. like put two and two together, she's either a pedophile or she's not very well liked or but no one ever used to speak about her and it was just blowing my mind and she'd always sit there and draw pictures of this baby with wings and I'd be like that is mad that is crazy. Anyway, someone one of the girls was like, "We need to we need to have a chat with you." And I said, "What's what's going on?" And they were like, "That girl you're in with?" So, I was like, "Yeah, yeah, she murdered a kid." And I was just thinking, you've got to be fucking joking me that I've now got to share this fucking room with someone who's killed her own baby. >> Were you still acting like a cop in there? I mean, you seen people taking drugs or parcels coming in? >> Yeah, it's not my not my business. It's fight or flight in there. Do you really think I'm going to go in there and be like, you shouldn't be doing that? >> Did you see all the corruption though and all the madness that's in there? >> Craziness. And I was in there for corruption. And what I did was half of what I fucking saw in J. >> What was the screws like with you? You could tell a couple of people were a bit like didn't like me. Didn't didn't like me. Just forced to be they weren't even helpful. Just forced to be around me because it was the job. A couple of others on the other hand were fine. Like sound with me. Not not any issues. No no no problems. There's there's a lot of corruption in jail. >> What's the worst thing you've seen in there >> in terms of >> anything? death, slashings, overdose, suicide, >> a lot of overdoses, a lot of overdoses, a lot of a lot of remand prisoners coming in and out every every week. Leave on the Monday, back in by the Friday, coming in with parcels, supplying the parcels, and causing just a lot of overdosing in there. >> Did you ever think about taking drugs? though. >> I've never It's never been my bag >> or suicide or anything when you >> in the cells in the police station. Yeah, >> definitely. How was I going to make it out of that p that police cell? And I remember they'd given me a hand towel in the custody suite and there was a fray on the towel and I thought if I just rip that towel and tie it as tight as I can around my neck, no one would ever know cuz I told myself when I got in that cell, I'll never press that button for help because I know what them I know what everyone behind the custody desk does when you press the button. >> What? Well, they're not going to come to you, are they? >> Did you get a job in there or on a par or anything? >> No. >> You weren't working in a gym or >> Oh, you mean in the jail? Oh, right. Yeah. Yeah. I um started off in the salon at first cuz there's a salon in style. >> Then a gym orderly. >> Yeah. That's the best job. >> Best. That's the best jail job you could ever ask for. >> Yeah. >> You're out all the time. You're in the gym all the time, which is freedom, isn't it? Um and then I made it to open. And I made it to Cat D. And in Cat D, I worked in a little coffee shop down the road from the jail. Used to walk there every morning. >> What open did you go to? >> Ask them. Ask them. Graange. >> What was it like getting out for the first time? >> Mad. I remember the first time I came home on a um like a rottle, an overnight stay at home and the first thing I did was eat some food and I had to use a metal knife and fork and it was the weirdest thing ever because I'd only ever used plastic. The thought that the feel of a metal fork in my mouth and my teeth was horrible. >> How long were you in your open for? >> 12 weeks >> and then released. M >> how was the media treating you then? Still [snorts] >> the media was fine. Um [clears throat] since my release, I've actually had quite a lot of newspapers reach out to me asking for my side of the story since they've seen my social media presence grow and I've not given one of them the time of day. >> Yeah. The fuck yeah, man. >> I just said respectfully, you didn't care about me when you sat in the gallery reporting on me. So why do you care about me now? Did you ever think you would get out >> in the very early stages? No. But then towards the end, even when I even when I'd been sent down that day when the judge said take take her down, I didn't know how long I was going to do out of that sentence. I was shitting myself. I'm embarrassed to come down and he went, "That was a really good outcome." I was like, "A really fucking good outcome. I've just been sent to jail. That wasn't a good outcome." But when you look at it in hindsight, it was a really good outcome. >> How was it when your mom was coming to visit? >> The first visit was horrific. The first visit was absolutely heartbreaking. I remember I remember my mom, I'd not seen her for about a month. I'd not seen anyone for about a month when I'd first landed in jail. I didn't have any I didn't have any of like my lifestyle luxuries. I had a shitty pair of prison prison grays and a couple of a couple of gym sets that I taken in. Some of my stuff got nicked as soon as I landed in jail. Um I was literally rinsing and washing the same few bits of clothes I had until I got a parcel sent in. And it's hard to get a parcel in jail, like a a closed parcel. So, you're kind of just scrimping and scraping for what you can use. And um I was so run down. I looked ill. I had oh just so unwell. And my mom saw me and she just burst into tears. That first visit. She just walked through the door and I saw her walk towards me and she just burst into tears. And so did I. And it was horrible. >> That's mad at five with your mom. >> It was horrible. My mom, if you saw my mom, she's so angelic. She's she's a she's a Christian. That's not cool, is it? As a Christian to be >> in jail with like prison track he's on. >> But you got over it. So when you were getting released, what was the plans? Did you have anything planned? What you were going to do? >> To be honest, I was doing my um level two fitness instructor course in jail because I aimed to just come out and be an online coach. So prej like long-distance running, marathons, racing, high rocks races. And that was because it gave me peace. It gave me something to channel my energy into at the time because I knew I was potentially going to jail in a couple of years. So I just did loads of shit to like sidet track me and um was mad into fitness, like crazy into fitness. Had my own coaches, training all the time. And I thought, "Yeah, that was my hobby, so I'm going to go back into that when I get out." And none of that happened. None of it happened. I'd already set up my own business when I'd resigned from the police and um I just kind of got out. I got out on the 23rd of January and I started trading on the 9th of Feb. >> Were you on tag? >> Yeah. >> Who was that? >> Fine. >> What was it? 710 79. >> No, 77. >> 12 hours. >> Yeah. Tag's not a problem. Tag is only an issue if you cannot follow the rules. That's the only time it will ever be an issue. If you play with fire with a tag, you're going to get burnt. It's that simple. >> So, you've got out your own tag. How was it adjusting back? >> It It was difficult. It was difficult in the sense of everyone knew that I'd gone to jail and what I'd gone to jail for and everyone was going to have an opinion of it, wasn't there? And it's funny because nobody liked me at the time going to jail, experiencing what I'd experienced. I lost so many people that were around me initially. And coming out of jail, people aren't there for you like they say they're going to be when you first go. It's a bit of a thrill, isn't it, to some people that someone close to them has gone to prison. It's very much a thrill. And when you're in there, you're maintaining relationships because no one can reach out to you, can they? >> Who was your friends in there? >> Inside the jail. >> Yeah. >> Um I made friends with quite a couple of people, you know. I remember one of my friends who had me I made friends with a girl I'm still in contact with her now actually. She's out. She's she's having a baby soon in two weeks and it's like we've never even been in prison. It's like we've never even been there and she Yeah. She uh she got herself caught up and again with a boy. A lot of women are in jail cuz they get caught up with men. >> Listen, a lot of men are in the jail because of women as well. You know what I'm saying? Like trust me, it's uh Yeah. But when you got out just to plan it straight in the head, how long were you on tag for? >> Uh the remainder of my the remainder of my I don't know what you call it like your overall sentence. Is it not your own cano cuz I'm on license, aren't I? So >> um 9 months 10 months. >> And how was it with that 9 10 months? Could you get back into a routine? Yeah, I think it's good coming out and being on tag because ultimately you can't go out and fuck shit up, can you? >> Some people do. >> Well, >> some people do. So, how was it then trying to find work? >> I came out of jail and applied for a job straight away. >> Did they know the history of your >> Yep. Because I knew I had my own business to fall back on, but I wanted to I wanted to know I still had the skills. >> Mhm. >> I wanted to put myself through the test. applied for a job as a PA and I got it and on interview I wanted to be able to provide full disclosure and it was the scariest thing of my life because my palms were sweating. I was trembling thinking I've got to tell you I'm not ging up and uh they were sound they were fine with it but then I didn't go ahead with it because I think when you've got a criminal conviction employment is not the way forward. It is not the way forward. You need to find something you're good at and you need to become self-employed because you will have you will constantly have someone else telling you what's right and what's wrong. >> What made you go on social media with it all? >> Ultimately, the media portrayed me to be the world's worst and I wanted people to make their own opinion of me, not just what the newspapers said. And I think I've very much been successful in that. And how's that been? It >> comes with its ups and downs. People will constantly have something to say. People will constantly troll you. People always write shitty comments. >> Fuck them. >> Who's asked? >> Yeah, fuck them. >> I couldn't give a toss about what people write in the comments about me. Sometimes it is a little bit far. Like people, it's always men. Men are always reaching out to me saying, "You should just go and kill yourself. Yesterday I got one saying, "Shouldn't you be hanging your head in shame?" Why? If if everyone was whiter than white, then the world would be a perfect fucking place, wouldn't it? >> Definitely. What are these cunts hiding? >> Exactly. >> You know what I mean? Were you nervous putting out your first video? >> Yeah. 30 seconds it took and it blew up. And from there, I've had the most incredible opportunities thrown at me. like what? Well, being on here for when? >> Yeah. TV, TV opportunities, um financial opportunities, things that things have come my way from the situation I'd been involved in, the journey I'd been on, just from being open and honest. People learn to trust you again, don't they? They learn to I think I think society these days social media is that big that people think they know you from the social media platform and that obviously builds trust with people. It's helped my business grow. It's helped me locate, find new clients, meet new people. And then social media wise, content creation is a whole new ball game. That is just insane. >> Yeah. social. This is the thing about social media. It makes or breaks you as well, you know. But everything comes in cycles. >> Yeah. >> You're either loved or you're hated or you're hated to whatever. You know what I'm saying? People can hate you. They love you. They love you. >> I'm always hated. >> I wouldn't score that far. >> I mean, >> yeah. I mean, potentially not. There's, like I said to you before, in terms of friendships and relationships, coming out was quite a big surprise to me. Um, there's people who I have had friendships with, relationships with who I thought better of. I thought loyalty meant more. And sadly, it doesn't. There's people I'll never speak to again. There's people I'll never want to cross paths with again who have betrayed me throughout this situation. But going to jail really shows you who's there, doesn't it? >> Yeah. But again, if you've got straight pegs and you're the corrupt copper, they're going to turn their back. >> Not necessarily all straight pegs, but yeah. >> No, but you find out the ass of people when you're going through shit. >> But then you'd be very surprised at how many people from the from the job have reached out to me. >> I'd imagine that stuff goes on all the time. >> I was just the one that got caught. It's as simple as that. >> Silly bastard. So, you come out social media. What are you doing with yourself now? Um, I am well I work a couple of days a week and I work with a lot of brands. Got a lot of brand deals. Got a lot of creating content editing. Kind of just a oneman band doing it all for myself. But I am at the moment struggling to see the wood through the trees with all. It's difficult. >> It's difficult. >> It's not as difficult as doing a five stretch. >> No, nothing will ever be as difficult [clears throat] as that. I actually had a conversation with someone on the way on the way here today and I said I always talk about like in the next 5 years I want X Y and Zed and ultimately in the next 5 years I just want freedom financial freedom being being able to provide for my family that's all I want >> yeah but that will all come if you graft for it >> of course it will >> you know that all comes it's all part and parcel of the growth >> and like you say it's just utilizing your story open those other doors. People love these sort of stories. It's crazy. So people think, "Oh, my world's done." It's not really >> It's turning point, isn't it? Cuz you know what? Every single person fucks up. I don't care what anyone says. There is not a There is not an individual who has never made a mistake >> because life is for making mistakes, isn't it? And learning what's right and what's wrong. >> What's your biggest lesson you've learned? >> Don't fucking trust us all. Be more selective with who you trust, set boundaries, and don't be afraid to say no to people. >> Did you think you would ever overcome it all? >> No. >> What was your darkest moment? >> I think for me it's sitting on your own in your own head space in jail. That is hard. Very, very hard. And now I still suffer with that now because now that's all I want. I thrive for that now. I miss it. I miss I miss being able to sit in my own head and think about things because life is so busy on the out. >> Whatever happened to the guy you were with? >> Uh he's in jail for a whole different case, I'm led to believe. >> Did you ever try and get ripped in for that by the coppers? >> No. >> So you weren't even with him when you got done? >> No. >> And you had already got some someone done that was in the coppers? Yeah. But like I say, it's life. It's the cards are dealt in it. How you deal with all four now. >> Do you know when I sit here sometime, well, not here, but when I sit and think about the the journey that I've been on, I think I'm 30 next year and I've seen and experienced some fucking crazy things in the job, out of the job, in jail, out of jail. And moving forward, I think life is all about wanting peace, isn't it? Chasing peace, not having anyone ringing my phone, not wanting anything from me. That's just peace, isn't it? That's life. But peace doesn't come with creating content and being easily accessible to people. >> No. To get peace. You need to come off social media. You'll never find peace there. You'll find growth. You'll find businesses. You'll find networking. Yes, million%. But to find peace there, you'll never find. It's like going to a war zone and trying to find peace. It never happens. >> How's your mom now? >> Oh, she's amazing now. She's amazing. She um she she's at peace. She's not got to worry about me being sat in jail. She knows she never missed a visit. She always made sure every weekend I had a visit, whether it was from her or someone else. One visit a week. >> Yeah, one visit a week. >> So, she was your biggest supporter? It's always the same. It's always the ones close to you. >> Your mom will your fact your parents will always be your biggest supporter if they're around. >> What about your dad? >> Yeah, still married, still together. Both of them on visits together. >> How was he seeing his daughter in prison? >> My dad's just my dad. He doesn't cry. He's he's a hard not he doesn't >> show emotion. >> Yeah. But he's the one who's probably breaking the most >> in >> massively massively. But you know, I've [clears throat] come out and I've grafted and I've put myself in a good position. I'm very very blessed and extremely grateful for everything that I've worked hard for and I've now I'm putting them in a nice position now. The future plans means that my dad, who is still a joiner at 63 years of age, will never have to lift another tool again. And that's the goal. >> What about brothers and sisters? >> Yeah, I'm one of four. Two brothers, one sister. We're all really close. We're a massive close-knit family. >> What were they saying to all? >> Just in disbelief. I think out of all four of us, I was not the one that was expected to go to jail. >> Definitely not. >> Did they come and visit? >> Yeah, they did. They came to visit. Everyone was really supportive. Um, I think in terms of of relationships, you just people people love the the thrill of you you being in jail and coming to a jail and wondering what it's like in a jail, but when you get out, no one gives a shit about you. >> Yeah. Nobody's asked ever. What's your daily routine like now? >> Exact same as my jail routine. I'm up at the crack of dawn. I'm training in the gym. I'm working all day. I'm coming home. I'm eating and I'm and I'm sleeping. Exact same regime as it is in jail. And I don't think I'll ever break that routine. I think I quite enjoy it. >> So, you've got something good from it. >> Yeah. A good routine. Yeah. And I think sometimes the friendships you make in there that you carry on, you bring out of jail, you um you value them friendships the most cuz you were in the trenches together. You were in your darkest days together with them people. So when you get out and you see daylight and you see the flowers blossoming and you do all the the nice things in life, you you appreciate it a little bit more. >> Do you get nightmares? >> Um I still get nightmares about the police. Not necessarily in jail about experiences that I'd had in there. >> What's your biggest regret? >> Joining the police. >> Why? Obviously because you get done, but anything else? >> The the jobs that I saw I'll never be able to forget. The children I saw I'll never be able to forget. the the the humans that you interact with that have just no emotions towards the fact that they've harmed a child is crazy and experiencing what I experienced with that that colleague at the time that the feeling degraded feeling in a position that you should never have to deal from a colleague in that job role. >> How old were you? >> 20. I was my first day of duty. >> No way. >> My first day on on duty as an independent officer. >> Yeah. It was not a nice experience, but it's made me who I am. >> Is he stolen a job? Because if he's doing that to you, who else is he doing it with? And then you've got victims out there as well who people interviewed a girl who was a cop or she was groomed by the sergeant, but the sergeant was also having an affair with a woman who he went to visit 22 years ago as a victim and then got her engaged. Got the young girl engaged and he was married. >> Happens every single day. >> It's a crazy state of affairs in that job role. >> Ain't it mad though that these are the people support? Not all coppers are bad. I always state that. But when these people are supposed to be protect and serve, you don't know what they do behind closed doors to then >> and that's why I always I always say confidently I got myself caught up with in in the wrong situation by breaching databases. You know, there's a lot worse going on than just me. But I think in that job, I was fucking good at that job and I handled everything correctly. There was never anything I did that stepped out of line towards members of the public. And I always had members of the public in my best interest because I cared about people. There were so many good things that I did that never got took into consideration. There were so many vulnerable people that I helped. There were so many lives that I saved. There was sitting on bridges for hours on end with people who were on the wrong side trying to kill themselves. You know, there was lives that I saved. There was victims that have been stabbed. There was future children who were being groomed. The groomers have been taken off the streets. All them good things that I did. >> None of it gets >> Yeah. But that all goes to fuck because you went to prison. Doesn't matter. You could have done a million things, right? It's funny because I dealt with one incident and um I'll never forget the the amount of times I went back to the same woman over and over again. And she was she's um she was a victim of domestic violence. And before before jail, I got baptized. I found faith. And the day I got baptized, I remember going up onto the stage and she ran at me and I didn't know it was her and she ran at me and she recognized me from the job and she said, "You will never realize how much you saved my life." So that after being I was going to jail a couple of weeks later and she ran up to me and she threw her arms around me and she said, "You saved my life. You took you got me out of it." >> When did you get baptized? >> The month before I went to jail. Uh Easter Sunday. We always religious beforehand. >> My mom My mom's always been followed faith Christian. My dad's not My dad's not interested. Just you could never put him in he could never force him to find faith. My dad he's he's very much um on his own with that one. But my mom said to me a couple of times, I think you should come. I think you'll you'll enjoy it. I think you need something that's going to give you a bit of guidance. And um what I said, "Mom, I'm not going to fucking church to listen to a bunch of Bible bashers talk to me about a book that's taught them how to live their life." And I stood by that for a long time. And I just thought, you know what? What What is the worst thing that can happen to me by going Nothing's going to be worse than knowing you're going to jail in a few weeks, knowing you've got to pack a bag to go go to jail? And um remember walking through and sitting down and I just thought, "What the fuck am I doing here?" The next thing, I don't know where it came from. I just burst into tears. I burst into tears and I remember seeing my mom, she was taking communion. And she'd got up and walked to the front. And when my mom walks into church, it's like everyone just looks at her like she's saving grace. And I remember everyone talking to me about my mom thinking like she's she's an angel and if she can do this then I can do it. And then I started taking it a little bit more seriously. I just started reading Bible scriptures. And um I remember thinking either this is a coincidence or either this is a coincidence or it means something. you know, just randomly opening the Bible a couple of times and thinking that was quite relatable or that's quite relatable. And there's always something in the Bible which will help you get through the situation that you're in. And that's what I stuck to. It's it's having hope and it's having faith that things will always work out in the end. >> Yeah. You've got to have faith. Did you feel good though? Did you feel clean that you had some sort of guidance? >> Yeah. And um I said to my mom, "I think I'm going to be baptized." And she was like, "Are you sure that's the right move to make? Is it definitely what you want to do? And I remember I got baptized and when you get baptized, you get a um Bible reading at the time which is chosen for you. And my Bible reading was Jeremiah um verse 29:11. And it basically is a scripture all about how you've got to go through what you go through because there's higher callings for you when you go through it. and I went to jail and I've come out and I've never been in the in a better position than I am now in life. >> Feeling good? >> Yeah. Incredible. >> What's your plans for the future then? >> I aim to set up a secondary business and employ my mom and dad. That they're my goals. They're my goals. Financial freedom. >> Yeah. Go smash it then. >> That is my my plan. What's your social media and stuff for people who maybe want to contact, maybe drop you a message, maybe say a prayer for you? >> Yeah, 100%. Um, it's it's the business name, the beauty box, MCR, all one word. Um, it's my brand name. It's what I've built up. >> How you feeling today? >> Great. >> Yeah. Yeah. You're smashing it. Just keep the head. You know what I mean? And I know you've got a train, so I don't want to keep you too long, >> but I appreciate you coming down to London. Appreciate your story. But for anybody watching this may be in a lifeful struggle right now. You've had your battles yourself. You've overcome it. What advice would you have for them? >> Don't be afraid to speak up when you need the help. Do not be afraid. Don't be ashamed. And don't be embarrassed because everyone makes mistakes. Even the people in the positions that you don't expect to make mistakes. And seek help. I I never spoke up about how I'm feeling. Whereas now all I do is speak about how I feel. People are probably bored of it, but I've never been in a better position in life. >> Yeah, good on you. Would you like to finish up on anything else? >> No, I'm good. >> Boom. Listen, I wish you nothing but the best for the future. Thanks for coming on. Take care and God bless. >> Thank you.