Everard familyA serving Metropolitan Police officer who accessed files relating to Sarah Everard’s murder has been dismissed.
PC Myles McHugh committed gross misconduct by viewing the confidential files without proper reason, a tribunal has found.
Former Det Con Hannah Rebbeck and Sgt Mark Harper were also found by the tribunal to have committed gross misconduct. Ms Rebbeck has since left the force but would have been dismissed had she still been serving, while Sgt Harper was issued with a final written warning.
The offences took place between 5 and 15 March 2021, soon after the 33-year-old marketing executive was kidnapped and killed by serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens.
‘Honest mistakes can be made’
PC McHugh repeatedly accessed the police system to search for details including Ms Everard’s medical history, employment, character and lifestyle, the panel heard.
Ms Rebbeck also looked for information about the 33-year-old that was not connected with her duties multiple times, which the panel heard had “centred on her own morbid curiosity”.
Another serving officer, Det Con Tyrone Ward, and two other former officers who have since retired – Insp Akinwale Ajose-Adeogun and Det Sgt Robert Butters – faced the same gross misconduct charge.
However, the panel found they had had a legitimate reason for accessing the information and were not in breach of the standards of police professional behaviour.
Another serving officer will face a separate gross misconduct hearing on a date to be set.
Met PoliceMet Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said the force’s thoughts were with Ms Everard’s family and friends.
“We have apologised to them for the added distress this case has caused and I recognise the wider questions and concerns this raises,” he said.
None of the officers was directly involved in the criminal investigation into Ms Everard’s murder. No evidence was found that any of them inappropriately shared the information with anyone else, the Met said.
The misconduct hearing followed an audit of those who accessed files relating to the case to see if they had had a good reason to do so.
In total, 104 officers and police staff were initially identified as having potentially accessing files without legitimate cause.
A majority of those of were subject to forms of discipline including written warnings and “reflective practice” training sessions.
In most cases, those who accessed the files did so “out of curiosity”, Mr Cundy said.
“When spoken to, they were remorseful, apologised, admitted poor judgement and were keen to engage in training.
“We know that honest mistakes can be made, and the most serious outcomes relate to those who were deliberately evasive or tried to avoid accountability. Those actions are not compatible with the values of the Met.”
