Two former police call handlers from the Midlands have been jailed after accessing confidential information and passing it to men involved in crime. Ellie-Mae Doherty, 22, from Ripley, and Jessica Fitzhugh, 22, from Belper, were sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Thursday, September 3, following an investigation directed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
Offences and sentencing
Doherty pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office after admitting passing information from police systems to a man linked to crime and failing to notify Derbyshire Constabulary of her personal association with him. She was jailed for 11 months. Fitzhugh denied misconduct in public office but pleaded guilty to computer misuse, admitting unauthorised access to police systems and taking photographs of material without permission. She received a four-month prison term.
Both women were charged in April following conduct referrals by the force to the IOPC in December 2023 and March 2024. The IOPC determined the allegations required investigation and that it was appropriate for the force's Counter Corruption Unit to carry out the investigation under its direction and control.
Details of the information breaches
Prosecuting, Helen Rodger told the court each woman had a sexual relationship with men involved in crime and should have known these were “disclosable associations”. Doherty first accessed information about an incident and passed it to Robbie Braddock, with whom she was said to be in a relationship, in December 2023 – roughly two months after completing her control room training. The information concerned a fight in which another male had smashed a window.
A second incident on March 6 2024 saw Doherty access details about a search warrant being executed and pass them to the same man. She viewed the details several times and also checked who was in custody at Ripley custody suite. Fitzhugh, who was also in a relationship with a man with a criminal record, looked up incidents in spring 2024, out of what the judge called “idle curiosity”.
Court remarks and background
Sentencing, Judge Timothy Spencer KC described the pair as “naive” 19-year-olds whom he “loosely” called “girlfriends of two undesirable young men”. He said: “Regrettably and for reasons that now you will find impossible to rationalise, you both flaunted the clear training, the clear direction and the clear guidelines you were given by the Derbyshire Police. In your case Ellie-Mae Doherty it went further because the information you accessed was clearly passed on in two distinct ways at two distinct times.”
Fitzhugh joined the force in January 2023, aged 19, as a call handler and later dispatcher, before referring her friend Doherty for a job. Doherty joined as a call handler in September 2023. Both women underwent “intense” vetting and signed declarations confirming no contacts engaged in criminal activities. Judge Spencer speculated their friendship may not survive the case and said he had “little doubt that it will haunt you for the rest of your days”.
Defending Fitzhugh, Elizabeth Power said she had a “lack of awareness” about the “severity of the breaches that she made”. Lowri Butterworth, for Doherty, said she was “acutely aware” and had been using her time since to “give back” to her community. The two women, who met while working at McDonald's before joining the force, sat apart in the dock and were accompanied by their families.
Force response and next steps
Derbyshire Police confirmed a misconduct hearing for both women will now take place following their convictions. Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Michelle Shooter said: “Police officers and staff are given access to extremely sensitive information in order to keep our communities safe. The public put their trust in us and expect that we will use that information for the appropriate reasons. Both Jessica Fitzhugh and Ellie-Mae Doherty breached the trust and have faced the consequences of their actions.”
The force worked closely with the IOPC following conduct referrals. Shooter added: “The case reinforces the clear responsibilities that officers and staff have – and that the force will take action against those who break the law and breach the standards of conduct that are expected of them.”
