Police sergeant 'far too close' to serious criminals

A police sergeant who accessed police records to "snoop" on information about his criminal associates has received a suspended jail sentence.

Daniel Hughes, 40, became "far too close" to people involved in serious criminality who he socialised with and went on holidays with, Judge Alan Conrad KC told Manchester Crown Court.

The Merseyside Police officer was convicted by a jury earlier this year of eight counts of unauthorised access to computer material and three counts of disclosing personal data, on various dates between 2016 and 2021.

Hughes, of Liverpool, was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for two years. He was sacked last month after a misconduct hearing, the court heard.

Prosecutor Laura Barbour characterised his offending as "snooping", which led to "gossipy" messages with friends and associates but there was no evidence he profited from the information he gathered.

Even following his arrest, he exchanged messages about social outings including "trips to the races".

Chloe Fordham, defending, said Hughes, who joined the force in 2006, was an "extremely dedicated and diligent police officer" who had been due for promotion.

He was also "undoubtedly a commendably brave officer," she said, who was stabbed in 2016 and seriously assaulted with a broken bottle three years later.

Judge Alan Conrad KC noted Hughes was "in many ways" an "industrious" and "pro-active" police officer who had "displayed courage in the line of duty".

But he told him: "There was, however, a different side to you which rendered you unsuitable to carrying out police duties.

"You fostered and continued in inappropriate relationships with a number of people involved in criminality or those close to such people.

"It is not an offence to associate with such people and you were not charged with misconduct in a public office but the fact was your personal life put you in a position where conflict could arise and it must have been apparent to you that socialising and going on holiday with such people was wrong.

"You became far too close to these people."

However, the judge added it was not a case in which he passed on information for "any criminal purpose" or where he stood to gain financially.

"What you did was, for the large part, characterised as snooping by the prosecution but it is still a serious case."

The judge said he also "detected a degree of arrogance" from Hughes during his trial, in which "you thought you knew better than others above you in the force".

Hughes was also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work and 10 days of rehabilitation activity, and must also pay fines totalling £750.

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