By Tony O’Reilly-
A Norfolk police officer sent racist, homophobic and pro-Nazi messages to his best friend on WhatsApp has been barred after a misconduct panel heard the case.
PC Connor Rowley, who is no longer a serving officer, trivialised violence against women, shared Nazi symbolism and made references to Jewish stereotypes in the messages sent between January 2022 and June 2025 while off duty, the hearing was told.
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The messages also made derogatory remarks about people from minority ethnic backgrounds and those in the LGBTQ+ community.
Assistant Chief Constable Nick Davison, who chaired the hearing, said Mr Rowley’s conduct was “totally incompatible with being a police officer” and he has been placed on the police barred list.
Connor Rowley joined Norfolk Police in 2021 after serving as a special constable for almost two years.
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Connor Rowley joked about rape victims and exchanged racist, antisemitic, and homophobic messages over three years while working as a constable with Norfolk Police, the hearing learned.
An investigation by the force’s anti-corruption team revealed the 31-year-old sent a large volume of messages to his best friend while off duty.
Norfolk Police said it received the contents of “several thousand digital messages” shared between the former officer and his friend on 30 July.
Following a review of the contents, Mr Rowley, who was a serving officer based in Norwich at the time, was suspended from his role on 15 August.
He resigned with immediate effect on 9 September.
Mr Rowley had also sent images showing the abuse of cats – and joked about violence against women and girls, the accelerated misconduct hearing at Norfolk Police headquarters in Wymondham was told.
This was a “sustained” departure from the standards and was “deliberate, repeated and persistent,” Acting Det Sgt Cornwall added.
The 31-year-old was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour in relation to authority, respect and courtesy, equality and diversity and discreditable conduct at an accelerated hearing at Norfolk Constabulary headquarters on Thursday.
PC Rowley, who was based in Norwich, resigned with immediate effect on September 9 after being suspended in August following the discovery of several thousand messages in July.
Norfolk’s deputy chief constable, Dave Marshall, had spoken out about the former officer’s behaviour, describing it as “hateful.”
“I’m appalled by these vile messages,” he said. “The public we serve rightly expects the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and fairness.
“His behaviour fell woefully short of the standards we set ourselves and those expected of us.
“He has breached my trust, the trust of every dedicated member of our service, and the trust of the communities he promised to protect and serve.
“Whilst it is deeply disappointing to be in this position, I remain unwavering in our commitment to uphold the highest standards.
“Any colleague in Norfolk whose behaviour falls short will face action, as we take every necessary step to restore trust and confidence in policing.”
It was determined at the hearing, chaired by Norfolk’s assistant chief constable Nick Davison, that PC Rowley had committed “serious and significant breaches of the professional standards that are key to the role of an officer in society”, causing a case for gross misconduct.
Mr Davison confirmed PC Rowley would have been dismissed from the force had he remained a serving police officer.
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