A GMP officer has been sacked after he used police computer systems to access confidential data, which he then shared with his ex-partner.
Sergeant Richard Proctor "abused his position" by using the force's IT system to carry out multiple checks on people he knew. He was fined £880 by magistrates last year after he admitted misusing GMP's computer system.
At a disciplinary hearing yesterday (Monday), Sergeant Proctor was found guilty of gross misconduct by Chief Constable Stephen Watson. He was dismissed from the force without notice.
READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community
Solicitor Gareth Madgwick, representing GMP, told the hearing that Sergeant Proctor had pleaded guilty to multiple criminal offences under the Computer Misuse Act and Data Protection Act at Manchester Magistrate's Court last September.
He said Sergeant Proctor, who joined GMP in 2005 and worked in the force's City of Manchester district, conducted checks on people who were known or of interest to him on nine occasions with no policing purpose. He then shared this information with his ex-partner on 22 occasions.
Mr Madgwick said the convictions represented a breach of conduct required of police officers and said Sergeant Proctor had "abused his position".
Mitigating on his own behalf, Sergeant Proctor apologised for his actions, which he said were carried out under "duress". He said he was in an "abusive relationship" at the time, which caused him a "huge amount of emotional pressure".
"All of this relates to a toxic relationship I was in with my son's mother," Sergeant Proctor told the hearing. "Every wrong action I took was under those circumstances and duress.
"Everything I shared with my ex-partner was a defence mechanism to prevent the loss of my son."
Following the breakdown of their relationship, Sergeant Proctor said he was "cut off" from his son, which left him "devastated and distraught".
He added: "I thought it was the only thing I could do. I didn't feel like I had anywhere else to turn to."
The officer said he had since been diagnosed with acute stress and anxiety, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
"I made a mistake and I'm sincerely sorry for what I have done," he added.
Chief Constable Stephen Watson, the chairman of the hearing, said he found the breach of conduct amounted to gross misconduct. He described Sergeant Proctor's actions as "deliberate and persistent" and said the information shared included "very sensitive data which breached the personal privacy of the subjects".
"It was not a single occurrence but rather multiple incidents which took place over a number of years," said the Chief Constable.
He ruled that while "a genuine element of personal distress and anxiety had surrounded Sergeant Proctor's decision making", it did not "absolve" him of responsibility.
Dismissing Sergeant Proctor, Chief Constable Watson described his actions as "simply unacceptable".
He added: "Whilst I accept that there is good evidence to point to the stress of domestic disharmony, I cannot find the evidence to support the assertion that these unhappy circumstances somehow amounted to the officer being coerced into the access and disclosure of police information.
"Some of the information disclosed clearly stems from nothing more than misplaced neighbourly prurience, and was designed to inform inappropriate and inconsequential conversations between Sergeant Proctor and the recipient, who was additionally not entitled to the receipt of the information."
Sergeant Proctor will also be added to the national policing 'barred list'.
Following the hearing, Superintendent Phil Duffy, of GMP’s Professional Standards Branch, said: “It is no secret that, under new leadership, Greater Manchester Police has upped the ante in 'rooting out and booting out corruption'.
“The Force Vetting Unit is working hard to ensure that those who join the force are the right people to do so, whilst the Professional Standards Branch strive to ensure that those who already represent GMP are behaving with the highest professional standards both on and off duty.
“Proctor displayed a flagrant disregard to both GMP policy and legislation and in doing so damages the vital public trust and confidence that the overwhelming majority of our officers and staff work extremely hard to maintain.
“The decision of the Chief Constable to dismiss Proctor is a prime example of the robust action we are committed to take against those who damage our relationship with the public by committing criminal offences and/or misconducting themselves.”
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- Life on the estate where people complain but things never get better
- The system is failing and these people deserved so much more
- 'There’s rats that eat the rubbish, human waste, furniture - it’s even been set on fire'
- Stockport mum 'disgusted' by her weight goes from a size 22 to a size 8
- The village with a 'hidden gem' that is just 90 minutes from Manchester
