November 15th 2024.
In 2021, the tragic case of Sarah Everard shook the nation as she was killed by a serving Metropolitan Police officer. The details of the investigation and trial were held confidential, but it was recently revealed that one of the officers, PC Myles McHugh, had accessed sensitive files without any legitimate reason.
Along with former trainee detective constable Hannah Rebbeck and Sergeant Mark Harper, McHugh was found to have committed gross misconduct after a three-week disciplinary tribunal in south east London. The panel determined that their actions were at the "higher end of harm" and they were dismissed from the force.
During the hearing, it was disclosed that Ms. Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive, was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by then-serving Met officer Wayne Couzens over the course of two days. McHugh's behavior was deemed particularly concerning as he repeatedly accessed the police system and even attempted to discuss the information with his colleagues. Panel chairwoman Sharmistha Michaels stated that McHugh's curiosity about the investigation led him to extensively and accumulatively access personal and sensitive data. However, he stopped once Couzens was arrested.
The Metropolitan Police expressed their disappointment in McHugh's actions, stating that he accessed the information while off duty and for a significant period of time. The case garnered criticism of the police force as a whole. Rebbeck, who had already left the Met, was also found to have repeatedly accessed sensitive data without any legitimate reason. The panel determined that if she was still a member of the force, she would have been dismissed without notice.
In the end, the panel ruled that the breaches of professional standards by McHugh and Rebbeck were so serious that the only appropriate outcome was dismissal. Sergeant Harper received a final written warning that would last for three years. Meanwhile, Couzens is serving a whole life sentence for the murder of Ms. Everard. The tragedy of her death and the actions of these officers have raised important questions about the integrity and accountability of the Metropolitan Police.
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