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Police Call Handlers Jailed for Leaking Secrets
3 Sep
Summary
- Two police call handlers were jailed for accessing confidential information.
- They passed sensitive details to their boyfriends involved in crime.
- One received 11 months, the other 4 months in prison.
Two former Derbyshire Constabulary call handlers, Jessica Fitzhugh and Ellie-Mae Doherty, both 22, have been sentenced to prison for accessing and sharing confidential police information with their criminal boyfriends. Doherty received an 11-month sentence for misconduct in a public office after passing on details about police incidents. Fitzhugh was jailed for four months for unauthorized computer access.
The court heard that both women underwent thorough vetting but were in relationships with men involved in crime. Judge Timothy Spencer KC described them as "naive" and "girlfriends of two undesirable young men," noting they "flaunted" their training. Doherty accessed information about a fight and a search warrant, passing details to her partner, Robbie Braddock.
Fitzhugh accessed incident details out of "idle curiosity." The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) led the investigation, with charges authorized in March. Derbyshire Police confirmed both women have left the organization, and misconduct hearings are pending, likely barring them from future policing roles. Their actions represent a significant breach of trust.
