Thames Valley: Ex-PC Jailed

12 March 2014, 13:33 | Updated: 12 March 2014, 13:36

A former Thames Valley police officer has been jailed for three and a half years for stealing thousands of accident victims' details from her force computer and selling the information to solicitors' firms.

Sugra Hanif, who was dismissed by Thames Valley Police last week, and her lover Raza Khan were jailed at Winchester Crown Court today after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office by a jury.

Khan, 27, of Ivy Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, was jailed for three years.

Hanif, a former police constable, began the conspiracy which could have netted more than #1 million with her lover in January 2011, the court was told.

The 27-year-old, of Bretch Hill, Banbury, Oxfordshire, would access the Thames Valley Police command and control computer to note the personal details of members of the public involved in road accidents, including the unique reference number (URN) each incident was given, prosecutor Peter Asteris said.

Hanif and Khan set up case management companies to sell the information to firms of solicitors who would pay them a referral fee for each case that led to a successful compensation claim, Mr Asteris told the court.

Each referral fee was worth between #600 and #800 and they gained a total of #26,400 from the 2,456 cases details Hanif stole during the 11-month conspiracy, he said.

The pair had been on trial alongside Khan's wife, Paramjeet Kaur, 26, who faced the same charge but the jury failed to reach a verdict in her case.

Mr Asteris said Hanif claimed she was forced under duress from Khan to steal the data, while Khan and Kaur claimed they did not know the data was illegal.

Detective Chief Superintendent Tim De Meyer, head of Professional Standards, said: ``Last week, Sugra Hanif was dismissed from Thames Valley Police following a misconduct hearing.

``The dismissal related to the recent finding of guilt at Winchester Crown Court for misconduct in a public office.

``This was a serious case of corruption and it is right that she was dismissed from the force.

``The thorough investigation of her crime shows how seriously Thames Valley Police takes these matters.

``It is vital that people have complete trust in Thames Valley Police and its officers. We are pleased that justice has been done.''