The London Economic
Thursday October 25, 2018
St Pancras station
A senior murder detective racially abused a cleaner and threatened to
urinate on the floor when he was told the toilets at St Pancras station
were closed for cleaning at 1am, a disciplinary tribunal was told.
Detective Chief Inspector Glen Lloyd, from the Metropolitan Police
Homicide and Major Crime Command, allegedly called Abdi Yare a “f*cking
n****r” during an argument in public toilets at St Pancras station, in
central London.
A misconduct hearing was told Mr Yare, from Somalia, was left “scared
for my life” when DCI Lloyd threatened to “smash” him during the
dispute.He is also alleged to have called Mr Yare a “n****r c**t” and insulted the cleaner’s family.
It is claimed the toilets were closed for cleaning when an off-duty DCI Lloyd entered at around 1am on May 11, 2017.
He then unleashed the racist rant when Mr Yare asked him to leave, the tribunal heard.
The officer, who “has a significant amount of experience and
expertise in respect of hate crime and diversity”, denies the claim.
Outlining the allegation, Catherine Elliott, chair of the hearing,
said: “Whilst in the toilets you became involved in an argument with a
cleaner, Abdi Yare.
“He told you the toilets were closed for cleaning and during that
argument you used racist and abusive language and behaviour towards Mr
Yare.
“In particular you called him a ‘f*cking n*****’ and used offensive
language in relation to Mr Yare’s parents and waved your fist.”
The tribunal heard DCI Lloyd had ignored barriers which said the toilets were closed.
Giving evidence, Mr Yare said: “I told him in a polite way that you
can see the place is closed, there’s a barrier in front of it, you’re a
big man, wait and use this other toilet.”
He added: “He said to me ‘n*****, f*cking let me use the urinal or otherwise I will urinate on the floor.”
Mr Yare added: “He said I will smash you on the wall. I was scared for my life.”
James Berry, from MPS legal services, which brought the case against
DCI Lloyd, claimed the officer then told Mr Yare to “do your work”.
Reading from Mr Yare’s statement to police, Mr Berry said: “You say, ‘f*cking n*****, get out of the way, let me do my urine’.
“You say he said he would ‘smash my head against the wall, just do your work’.”
Mr Berry added: “The words you say Mr Lloyd used, ‘you f*cking n***** let me do my urine or I urine on the floor.
“You say he said, ‘f*ck your mother and your dad’.”
Mr Yare said the incident left him feeling “helpless”, adding: “My dad already passed away during the war in Somalia.”
Representing DCI Lloyd, Heather Oliver asked Mr Yare: “Did you
develop an allegation of racist abuse to divert attention away from your
aggressive behaviour?”
But the cleaner denied the allegation was made up.
He said: “He’s repeating the word n****r to me two or three times. It bothers me even now.”
Mr Berry told the panel DCI Lloyd did not deny there was a
confrontation about him using the closed toilet, but said he was not
racist.
He said: “What’s in dispute is the language that was used by DCI Lloyd to Mr Yare.”
He added: “[Mr Yare] was clear that he had been called a n****r, he was clear that his mother had been insulted.”
Mr Berry said DCI Lloyd was “of good character”, adding: “He has a
significant amount of experience and expertise in respect of hate crime
and diversity.”
Press and members of the public were made to watch the hearing on TV screens in a separate room.
The panel were shown CCTV footage recorded during the alleged incident but it could not be clearly made out in the public room.
Mr Yare said he moved to Britain from Somalia in 2004 and began working for a cleaning contractor at St Pancras two years ago.
He spent one year as a cleaner in the toilets before the incident happened.
Mr Yare also told the hearing he didn’t know DCI Lloyd was a police officer.
He said he initially believed DCI Lloyd was speaking in an American accent during the confrontation.
He said: “I knew he was using an American accent because of the way he was talking to me.”
Asked why he opted not to pursue a criminal case, Mr Yare said: “A
criminal case everyone knows someone will go behind bars, to prison,
while this one will make a disciplinary action.”
He said: “He tried to abuse me, told me the word ‘n*****’, that’s
what he said. He said to me ‘n*****, f*cking let me use the urinal or
otherwise I will urinate on the floor.”
The tribunal continues.