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Former detective Emma Gardner jailed for illegally accessing police logs
Overview
Former North Wales Police detective inspector Emma Gardner has been sentenced to eight months in prison for illegally accessing restricted police logs concerning a man she knew and passing information to him. Gardner denied the charges, claiming her actions served a policing purpose and citing post-traumatic stress disorder, but was found guilty by a jury at Caernarfon Crown Court. Following a misconduct hearing, she was also placed on the College of Policing Barred List.
Key points
- Former detective inspector Emma Gardner was jailed for eight months at Caernarfon Crown Court.
- She accessed restricted police logs without authorisation on 47 occasions between January and September 2022.
- Gardner passed information regarding complaints to a former bouncer she knew and was Facebook friends with.
- Judge Petts stated that an immediate prison sentence was necessary because 'even detective inspectors are not above the law'.
- A disciplinary hearing found her actions amounted to gross misconduct, and she has been placed on the College of Policing Barred List.