Cleveland Police officer suspended from duty after data protection conviction
Sarah Walker, 29, who works for Cleveland Police, was fined by magistrates this week after she admitted two counts of knowingly or recklessly obtaining or disclosing personal data without consent of a controller contrary to the Data Protection Act 2018.
The offences took place in Hartlepool where it is understood Walker worked.
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Hide AdThey related to Walker using her position within the police to access and share details of an arrest warrant and another individual’s previous convictions with her partner in February and September of 2020.
The police warrant revealed the person’s name and address while the individual’s previous convictions related to a man Walker met outside of work.
Cleveland Police have now confirmed that she has been suspended pending misconduct proceedings.
Detective Inspector Stephen Bell, from Cleveland Police’s directorate of standards and ethics, said: “We investigate any misuse of police systems robustly.
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Hide Ad"This officer is currently suspended and following this conviction will be subject to our own misconduct process.”
Walker, from Billingham, was fined a total of £682 and ordered to pay costs when she admitted the offences at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, March 8.
In her defence, it was said she shared the information to justify the long hours and people she was working with to her then partner in a relationship described as difficult.
Walker’s lawyer Julian Gaskin said she had acted out of “stupidity and naivety” but added that there was nothing sinister in her actions such as passing the details on to criminals.
