Case dropped against ‘traumatised’ former senior officer Novlett Robyn Williams

Novlett Robyn Williams court case

The case against highly decorated former Metropolitan police officer Superintendent Novlett Robyn Williams has been dropped after a court heard she was left “traumatised” by her legal ordeal.

Ms Williams, 59, who was previously convicted of possessing a child abuse video, was accused of failing repeatedly to comply with her sex offender notification requirements.

On the day she was due to go on trial at the Old Bailey, prosecutor Richard Wright KC told the court it would not be in the public interest to continue with the case.

He said the decision had been made in light of a recent psychiatric report outlining the ongoing effect of the court proceedings on Ms Williams’ mental health.

Mr Wright said: “After careful consideration, the prosecution has concluded that in light of the mental health report, in particular its assessment of the effect these ongoing proceedings are having on the current health of Ms Williams, it is no longer in the public interest to pursue the prosecution.”

The prosecutor invited the court to order the charges to lie on the court file.

Defence barrister Rajiv Menon KC told the court of the “very detrimental effect” the case had on Ms Williams.

He said: “She has been punished to a large extent, not only by the conviction but by the end of her distinguished career as a police officer first in Nottinghamshire, latterly in the Metropolitan Police.”

Ms Williams had recently resigned from the Metropolitan Police Service “with immediate effect”, he said.

Mr Menon said he was “disappointed” that the prosecution had applied for the case to lie on court file rather than offering no evidence, allowing for Ms Williams to be formally found not guilty.

Judge Richard Marks KC said the mental health report made “sad and unhappy reading”.

He said he could “well imagine her being completely traumatised by the conviction”, adding: “Nobody could describe her as being a sex offender in the true meaning of that expression.”

The judge declined to formally acquit Ms Williams, saying the proper course was for the charges to lie on the court file.

But added: “As far as I am concerned, she leaves the court with no stain on her character.”

Addressing the defendant, he said: “Ms Williams – there is no need to stand up – this case has been a long and painful ordeal for you.”

He expressed a hope she could get her life “back on track” following the conclusion of the case.

Ms Williams, who was commended for her work after the Grenfell Tower disaster, was originally sentenced to 200 hours of community service for possession of an indecent image in November 2019.

At her earlier trial at the Old Bailey, jurors heard that she received a child abuse video by WhatsApp from her older sister, Jennifer Hodge, so the officer could investigate the footage.

But she failed to report the clip, and while the court accepted she had not viewed it, the jury was not convinced she was unaware of it being on her phone.

She was dismissed from the Metropolitan Police after a disciplinary hearing in March 2020 found her conviction amounted to gross misconduct.

But in 2021 she successfully appealed against the decision to dismiss her following her conviction and was reinstated as a police officer.

Ms Williams was placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years as part of her sentencing.

Last June, she was charged with failing to notify police of information required seven times between November 22 2019 and December 11 2021.

The charges related to failing to tell authorities about details of bank accounts and credit cards and a trip to Kenya in December 2021.

Ms Williams, of Pimlico in west London, had pleaded not guilty to all seven charges of failing to comply with a notification requirement.

The court heard that she had admitted failing to comply with the requirements but denied the charges on the basis she had a “reasonable excuse”.

It was on the basis she did not intentionally withhold information, forgot or did not appreciate the need to make a notification, the court was told.

Mr Wright had told the court on Tuesday that the prosecution had offered a “caution” or for the case to be tried in a magistrates’ court, but Ms Williams had opted for a Crown Court trial.

The prosecution had reviewed the case after a defence mental health report was served on April 22.

Register now for one of the Evening Standard’s newsletters. From a daily news briefing to Homes & Property insights, plus lifestyle, going out, offers and more. For the best stories in your inbox, click here.