Two police officers who took pictures of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman have been accused of a 'catastrophic betrayal'.
Pc Deniz Jaffer and Pc Jamie Lewis were assigned to guard the scene overnight after Ms Henry, 46, and Ms Smallman, 27, were found dead in bushes in Fryent Country Park, Wembley, north-west London.
Instead, they breached the cordon to take photographs of the bodies, which were then shared with colleagues and members of the public on WhatsApp.
One was a 'selfie-style' image which included Lewis's face superimposed on it. The officers also described the victims as 'dead birds' in WhatsApp groups.
Lewis wrote: 'Unfortunately I'm sat next to two dead birds full of stab wounds.'
Jaffer posted on another WhatsApp group: 'I have pictures of the two dead victims. Let me know who doesn't want to see.'
Jaffer, 47, of Hornchurch, east London, and Lewis, 33, from Colchester, Essex, pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office.
On Monday, the pair appeared at the Old Bailey to be sentenced by Judge Mark Lucraft QC.
In victim impact statements, family members described the defendants as a 'disgrace' to the police family and to mankind.
Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman taken from Bibaa's phone. Two police officers who took photos of their murdered bodies are facing jail
Pc Deniz Jaffer (left) and Pc Jamie Lewis, the two police officers who took pictures of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman
Mina Smallman, the mother of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, arriving at the Old Bailey, London ahead of the sentencing of Pc Deniz Jaffer and Pc Jamie Lewis
The women's mother, Mina Smallman, said the officers' actions were a 'betrayal of catastrophic proportions' and a 'sacrilegious act'.
Finding out that the men took selfies 'for their own amusement' had left the family 'horrified', she said.
Mrs Smallman added: 'Those police officers felt so safe, so untouchable, they felt they would take photos of our murdered daughters. Those officers dehumanised our children.
'If it had not been for an anonymous tip-off to the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) we would never have known.'
She added that the actions of the officers amounted to 'pure misogyny'.
Setting out the facts, prosecutor Joel Smith said the officers had committed a 'gross breach of trust'.
They had been tasked with protecting the crime scene and instead stripped the victims of their 'dignity' in death, he said.
Their behaviour came amid public outcry over the murders which was 'shocking in its ferocity and its nature'.
Jaffer and Lewis, neither of whom was wearing forensic protection, had arrived in the park at 3.30am on June 8 last year.
During the night, Jaffer took four pictures of the bodies in situ and Lewis took two, and superimposed his face on to one of them to create the 'selfie-style' image.
Jaffer sent an inexperienced female officer at the scene photographs of the bodies as they lay intertwined in the bushes, including Lewis's 'selfie'.
Jaffer went on to show images to two other officers, including a female probationary officer he was supposed to be mentoring at Forest Gate police station, who was 'shocked' and 'disgusted'.
Lewis showed his phone displaying an image from the crime scene to another female
