Police call handler leaked information to crime gangs through her brother
A former police call handler who worked with her brother to leak sensitive information to organised drug gangs has been jailed.
Catherine and John Arrol, 29 and 39, both admitted participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group after a probe.
Catherine, who worked for Thames Valley Police (TVP), also pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office.
The force said that between March and June in 2020, while employed as a call handler, she accessed information on police systems.
Working with John, she shared what she found with gangs via an encrypted device, using the handle ‘paidlizard’.
TVP said John was often the conduit between Catherine and the gangs, who were responsible for importing and distributing class A drugs.
An investigation was launched and Catherine, of Maidenhead, Berkshire, and John, of Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, were both arrested.
An EncroChat phone and class A and B drugs were seized from Catherine.
TVP said she also allowed her partner of the time to secretly listen into a telephone call whilst she spoke to a victim of crime.
Catherine later admitted three offences relating to participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group and four charges of misconduct in public office at Reading Crown Court in November last year.
John pleaded guilty to three offences relating to participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group at the same court in February this year.
Yesterday, Catherine was sentenced to two years and ten months in prison, while John was sentenced to two years in prison.
DC Joshua Pitts, of the corruption unit at TVP, said: ‘Catherine Arrol was in a position of trust and she abused that position by accessing and sharing data with organised crime groups.
‘She went further by allowing a member of the public to listen into a confidential chat whereby they were reporting a crime. This was a clear breach of trust that the public places in the police.
‘It is essential for the trust of both our communities and our workforce that all members of staff are honest and trustworthy. Catherine Arrol’s behaviour fell far below what is expected, and she has been sentenced accordingly.’
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