Police Officer Jailed

By Lindsey Hume, 6th January 2012, 16:00

A policewoman who gave confidential information to a man she knew was about to be arrested has been jailed for 15 months.

29 year old Hannah Quince of Garfield Street, Bedford, looked up information about what a Guns and Gangs Unit knew about a friend of her boyfriends whilst she was working in Luton Police Station. 

The police constable made sure not to go onto the Police National Computer because she knew any checks and enquiries she made would show up. 

What she didn't realise however was that Bedfordshire Police had installed special software on its computer systems so that any unauthorised searches would be flagged up.

The judge sentencing her St Albans Crown Court said: 'This was a gross betrayal of your police colleagues and of the public you were employed to serve.'

Quince's student boyfriend Christopher Shri 30 of Little Head Land, Bedford, who had persuaded her to carry out the illegal searches was also jailed for 9 months. 

As was his friend, Ben Sturge, also 30 and of The Risings, Bedford, who had wanted to know what it was the police had on him.

All three had been found guilty by a jury earlier of conspiracy to commit an act of misconduct in a public office.