Former chief whip Andrew Mitchell has said he is pleased “justice has been done” after a police officer who falsely claimed to have witnessed the Plebgate row pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey.
PC Keith Wallis, 53, of West Drayton, west London, admitted misconduct in public office between September 19 and December 16 2012, by saying that he had witnessed the incident.
He was charged after he sent an email to Conservative deputy chief whip John Randall, who was his MP, wrongly claiming that he had seen what happened in Downing Street on September 19, 2012.
A row erupted when then-chief whip Mr Mitchell became involved in a heated confrontation with another police officer, Toby Rowland, after he was refused permission to cycle through the main gate.
Mr Mitchell admitted swearing but denied Pc Rowland’s claim that he used the word “pleb”.
Today, the Tory MP for Sutton Coldfield welcomed Wallis’s guilty plea but said the police officer’s behaviour was “very sad and worrying”.
He said in a statement: “I am pleased that justice has been done in a criminal court.
“It is very sad and worrying for all of us that a serving police officer should have behaved in this way. There remain many questions unanswered; in particular why Pc Wallis wrote this email and who else was involved in this process.
“I am looking forward to seeing justice done in the up to 10 other related disciplinary cases involving police officers so that I can focus all my energy on delivering for my constituents and help David Cameron win a Conservative majority at the 2015 election.”
Wallis, wearing a black suit and tie, stood in the dock and spoke only to confirm his name and that he understood the charge before entering his guilty plea.
The court heard that Wallis, who is from the Metropolitan Police Diplomatic Protection Group, admitted the offence in police interview and offered to resign.
Mr Justice Sweeney adjourned sentencing to February 6 pending pre-sentence psychiatric reports.
He released Wallis on unconditional bail but warned him that “all sentencing options remain open to the court”.
Last month the Police Federation confirmed that the officer at the centre of the row was to sue Mr Mitchell.
Pc Toby Rowland issued a letter of claim for libel against Mr Mitchell relating to the issue in the wake of their differing accounts of the heated confrontation in Downing Street.
Prosecutors have found there was insufficient evidence to charge Pc Rowland with any criminal offence after the row, and Scotland Yard has said he will not face disciplinary action.
Mr Mitchell previously said he hoped the officer would give evidence on oath as part of the libel proceedings against the Sun newspaper. But Mr Rowland said he stood by his account of what was said.