Temporary Sergeant Daniel Hughes, 40, was convicted by a jury of eight counts of unauthorised access to computer material and three counts of disclosing personal data without consent. The offences took place between 2016 and 2021 while he served with Merseyside Police.
Double life revealed
Hughes, described as a dedicated officer who was injured in two brutal attacks, hid his longstanding relationships with individuals involved in serious organised crime. He socialised, travelled abroad, and attended race meetings with these contacts, and also searched intelligence documents about them.
Although there was no evidence that Hughes disclosed the contents of the confidential files to his criminal contacts or gained financially, he did share fragments of gossip about other active cases in a WhatsApp group conversation.
Court proceedings
Manchester Crown Court heard that Hughes used the police national computer (PNC) and Merseyside Police's Niche network to conduct repeated unauthorised searches on individuals including Steven Noone, Phillip Lam, Anthony Harrison, and Frederick Connolly. Laura Barbour, prosecuting, said Hughes accessed intelligence reports concerning Noone, who was under investigation for large-scale fraud involving stolen credit cards used for luxury holidays.
Hughes also searched records on Lam, later identified as the EncroChat alias "WearyDog" involved in drug trafficking. Evidence linking Harrison to the "WalkTheDog" account was retrieved from Hughes' mobile device after his detention. Connolly, known as "MadeiraBlue", was a major drug trafficker who had been photographed on holiday with Harrison.
Misconduct and sentencing
In mitigation, Chloe Fordham, defending, said Hughes was an extremely dedicated officer who served since 2006, sustained a stabbing in 2016 and was seriously assaulted with a broken bottle in 2019. She noted his autism and PTSD, and argued that the loss of employment was a significant deterrent.
Judge Alan Conrad KC acknowledged Hughes did not commit the offences for monetary benefit or to assist criminals, but said: "You became far too close to these people." He described the conduct as "snooping" but added: "That is still a serious offence. It was persistent over a considerable period of time."
Hughes received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, with 10 rehabilitation days, 250 hours of unpaid work, and a £750 fine. He was sacked from Merseyside Police after his conviction.
Olivia Travis, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Daniel Hughes was a corrupt police officer who abused his position to access sensitive information. He maintained longstanding relationships with offenders involved in drugs and firearms, which he deliberately concealed despite a clear duty to declare them."
