A 'jealous' West Midlands Police officer who rifled through confidential police systems for information about his estranged wife's new boyfriend has been dismissed without notice. PC Cooper accessed the force's computer systems for 40 minutes on May 6, 2024, searching for details including the man's criminal history and a linked criminal report.
Gross Misconduct Finding
An accelerated misconduct hearing in June found that Cooper's actions amounted to gross misconduct, breaching standards of professional behaviour regarding confidentiality and discreditable conduct. The panel determined that he 'abused his position' by accessing the information 'without a policing purpose'.
Panel chair Debra Tedds stated: 'Accessing confidential information for personal reasons is always serious and unacceptable. The conduct was targeted towards obtaining information on the officer's estranged wife's new partner. This information was only accessible to Cooper through the fact that he was a serving police officer.'
Details of the Breach
The panel heard that Cooper misused force computer systems between 6.51am and 7.30am on May 6, 2024. He searched for the name of his estranged wife's partner, accessing confidential information including personal details, criminal history, and a linked criminal report. He then used this information to advise his estranged wife outside his official duties.
Cooper claimed the searches were a 'moment of madness' driven by concern for his children's safety after hearing information from a third party. However, the panel noted that the correct course of action would have been to raise his concerns with supervisors.
Jealousy and Self-Disclosure
Ms Tedds commented: 'Cooper detailed within his regulation 18 response that he found it hard that his estranged wife had entered into a new relationship. I believe that his actions, to a point, were driven by jealousy albeit I do accept that he was concerned about the wellbeing/safety of his estranged wife and children as a result of the information he was told and had discovered.'
Cooper self-disclosed nearly 12 months later, after the relationship deteriorated and a report was made. The panel believed he only disclosed because the information was likely to come to light.
Clare's Law Application
Although Cooper denied directly passing on the information, he acknowledged advising his estranged wife to make a Clare's Law application. Under Clare's Law, police can release information about a person's previous history of violence or abuse. The panel found that his advice was informed by the searches he made.
The report added: 'Cooper admits to searching the systems as detailed stating that this was a 'moment of madness' and driven by a concern/safety of his children. Cooper also admits that the conduct amounted to a breach of the standards of discreditable conduct and confidentiality and to the level of gross misconduct.'
Mitigating Factors and Dismissal
The panel accepted that Cooper was going through a challenging time due to the relationship breakdown and concerns for his family, and that he was a victim of a volatile domestic situation. However, the seriousness of the breach led to his dismissal without notice.
Cooper, described as 'well respected and liked' among colleagues, was found to have breached standards of professional behaviour relating to confidentiality and discreditable conduct.
