A detective constable with the Metropolitan Police has been dismissed from the force after admitting he spent work hours writing explicit, misogynistic fiction on his official laptop.
Gross Misconduct Hearing Reveals Details
The misconduct hearing, held on Monday 24 November 2025, was told that Detective Constable Thomas Sewell used his work device to draft first-person stories containing what the panel chair described as "deeply offensive" material. The content was characterised by its misogynistic, aggressive and sexual language.
Sewell, who was working as a tutor training new detectives, admitted to the allegation. He stated that a lack of work led to significant "downtime," which he filled with this activity. He also acknowledged using Wikipedia at work to browse pages with erotic themes and explicit images, including topics like "sex shows," "pornography" and "exhibitionism."
Extracts and Explanation
An extract from one of his stories, titled "White Male Juvenile," was read aloud during the proceedings. In it, the narrator makes derogatory comments about women, stating: "If you’re simply going to do what women claim they hate doing and objectify yourself, show off your assets, your physicality, advertise your attributes like there’s a f****** sale on for them at the moment."
Another passage from his writing described an individual experiencing a mental health crisis and considering suicide as "pond scum." In his defence, Sewell explained that he had turned to writing years earlier as a way of coping with a traumatic incident where he was seriously injured in a pub. The hearing was told that "DC Sewell is very sorry and disappointed."
Force Condemns 'Abhorrent' Material
Commander Katie Lilburn, who chaired the misconduct hearing, was unequivocal in her condemnation. She said the content was "deeply offensive in that it is misogynistic as well as erotically explicit."
She further emphasised the severity of the breach, adding, "The misogynistic and sexualised comments in the documents are especially abhorrent because they were not just erotic but also specific to policing, and misogynistic in a policing context." The panel found the behaviour constituted gross misconduct, leading to Sewell's immediate dismissal from the Metropolitan Police.
