A Metropolitan Police detective sergeant has faced allegations of compromising the dignity and professionalism of a high-profile murder investigation, sparking a misconduct hearing that has thrown a spotlight on the sensitive handling of crime scene evidence. Jason Grafham, who retired last Friday, stands accused of retaining graphic photographs from the 2005 Sally Anne Bowman case, which were allegedly shown to colleagues for 'entertainment and bragging rights'.
Grafham's Defence has admitted that he made three inappropriate remarks to colleagues, but denies keeping the photos. The Southwark hearing was told that Grafham had been an exhibits officer in the Bowman investigation and frequently discussed the case with colleagues. However, his colleagues reported feeling uneasy about his frequent references to the high-profile murder.
The victim, Sally Anne Bowman, was found raped and murdered on 25 September 2005. Mark Dixie was subsequently convicted of her murder in 2008 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 34 years. Following reports from colleagues that Grafham had shown them the photos, a search of his desk reportedly uncovered 'extremely graphic' photocopies within a locked cabinet.
Colleagues described how Grafham's frequent references to the case became a 'running joke', but they also expressed concern about his actions. One witness, referred to as Miss C, said: "It wasn't formal, it felt like he was bragging, it wasn't for any educational purposes." Another colleague, Miss B, described feeling 'highly inappropriate' and 'disturbing' by Grafham's actions.
A third colleague testified that Grafham had made sexually inappropriate comments towards her. It was also revealed that he had personal issues, including an alcohol problem, which had been reported to his line manager. Detective Inspector Louise Caveen confirmed that Grafham remained in post despite being aware of these issues until his suspension in December 2024.
The misconduct hearing will continue on Wednesday.