Nisha Patel - Sex and the Metropolitan Police ... a brutal murder that lifts the lid

After a 3 month Old Bailey Trial , 34 year old Beirut-born Muslim Nasri husband of 29 year old Nisha Patel (no relation), was found guilty of paying 35-year-old Jason Jones, a club bouncer to kill her on May 11th 2006 - she bled to death after being stabbed in the leg outside her house. The weapon was taken from her kitchen and recovered from a grid identified by the getaway car being observed on CCTV pausing by the grid.

Nasri hired Jones through ‘Mr Fixit' Roger Leslie. All three were convicted of her murder last week .

Nasri's apparent motive was to cash in on a £350,000 life policy to clear his debts and leave the way open for developing his relationship with his 27 year old Lithuanian lover, Laura Mockiene.

A squalid and in many ways an unremarkable tale of low lifes and crime.

Undisclosed at the trial Nisha Patel had for years been running the "Seventh Heaven" , a brothel / escort agency with her husband , as well as being employed from December 2002 by the Metropolitan Police as a very Special Constable.

This provided her with the opportunity to threaten and blackmail bad payers - Nasri would often make the extraordinary claim that his pretty 29-year-old Nisha had high-powered friends at Scotland Yard who'd protect him.

Whatever protection she did have nearly went wrong 5 years ago when she turned up in Elstree on the Hertfordshire Police manor trying to collect on a bouncing £1,800 cheque ,flashing a warrant card and demanding entry on police business on client J - who later claimed Nisha had supplied cocaine £50 a gram.

The scared customer J called the police and 47 year old Sgt David "Dave" Eden (Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal) appeared, to later tell of a confrontation with Patel which ended with a report by Sgt Eden to the Met’s Professional Standards department and a formal complaint to Wembley police station, where Patel-Nasri worked.

After her murder Eden again approached the Met and told his previous report could not be released - and later he discovered that the hard disk of his Hertfordshire police computer, where he had stored a copy, had been wiped.

The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards were involved and interviewed Nasri, Nisha and client J.

Police Commander Rod Jarman last night (NOW) said that a matter had been brought to their attention by Sgt Eden, adding: "It was dealt with by way of formal discipline." The Mail on Sunday today report that .....a Met Police spokesman said: ‘Nisha was disciplined for using her warrant card for enforcing civil debts in relation to Fadi Nasri’s escort business. Nisha was given a formal verbal warning in the form of “words of advice.”’

It is therefore curious that this spitting harridan was revealed in a statement at the murder trial by Sgt Eden that ;

1. She could have him out of his job.

2. He and his officers should leave , "if I knew what was good for me."

3. On his warning Nisha she would be reported for corruption she said : "You don't know who you're f***ing with!"

... remained and continued to be employed by the Metropolitan Police .

The Met currently has 2,000 Specials (perhaps none as special as Nisha) and expect to recruit 4,000 in time for the Olympics in 2012. They wear the normal police uniform and carry a warrant card that gives them the same powers of arrest and search as full-time officers.

They also have access to the police national computer, which contains sensitive personal information including the records of everyone who has been arrested or convicted of an offence.... and a lot more.

At Nisha's funeral More than 100 police officers formed a guard of honour on the road leading to Golders Green Crematorium in north London, as the funeral cortege arrived.

The coffin was adorned with the Metropolitan Police Service drape and Nisha's police helmet.(BBC) Chief Inspector Julia Pendry, one of her closest colleagues, was among those to read a eulogy at the service.

"It is evident by the number of police colleagues here today that Nisha was well liked and popular member of the policing family who will be sadly missed."

At the time of her murder Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said: "Our hearts go out to Nisha's husband and family and friends. It is a tragedy that a young woman who willingly gave up so much of her valuable free time to work as a police officer in her local community should lose her life in this terrible way.

"Nisha was tremendously popular with her colleagues, who regarded her a real team player and her death is a huge loss to the Metropolitan Police Service.

Ch Insp Julia Pendry has an interesting history as Chief of operations in Brent as she sued the Met in June 2005 claiming discrimination on the grounds of sex and race. This related to an incident in briefing officers prior to a celebration of the Sikh religious festival of Guru Nanak in November 2003 when she was (eventually cleared in a 5 month enquiry although she was given "words of advice) claimed to have made a racist remark - allegedly warning colleagues not to eat from street stalls at the Sikh festival.

The full Morris enquiry report (heavily redacted) is here, worth reading if for nothing else the circumlocutory nonsense like this... . "Sir Anthony Burden: And yet when you had various discussions with various people, the impression given to you was that this was an extremely serious issue, and that I do not take issue with, in terms of the allegation, but it had far-reaching implications and ramifications, I think. "

On the 16th June 2005 just as her claim was to proceed she settled out of court and a statement was issued ..""The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service and Chief Inspector Pendry are happy to confirm that a settlement has been reached in relation to her claims for sex and race discrimination.

"In light of this settlement the employment tribunal procededings will now not go ahead. Chief Inspector Pendry remains a loyal and trusted senior officer of the MPS and her professional contribution to the Service is acknowledged."

Which is surprising as she had said ahead of the tribunal, : "I believe the complaint of racism against me was driven by very senior officers to obtain an outcome against me at all costs regardless of the evidence."

More fascinating , Ms Pendry said her promotion was withheld as a direct result of the racism complaint and because of a personal relationship with a borough commander.

All very odd... at least no evidence of any senior officers fiddling their expenses.