September 10th 2024.
Catherine Arrol and her brother, John, have both been found guilty of participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group. The siblings, aged 29 and 39, were involved in leaking sensitive information to drug gangs while Catherine was working as a police call handler for Thames Valley Police.
An investigation was launched after it was discovered that Catherine had been accessing police systems and sharing information with gangs using the handle 'paidlizard'. Her brother, John, acted as the go-between for Catherine and the gangs, who were responsible for the import and distribution of class A drugs.
The police were able to seize an EncroChat phone and class A and B drugs from Catherine's possession. It was also revealed that she had allowed her partner at the time to listen in on a confidential call with a victim of crime, a clear breach of trust.
In November last year, Catherine admitted to three offences relating to participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group and four charges of misconduct in public office. John, on the other hand, pleaded guilty to three offences relating to the same group in February this year.
Yesterday, the pair were sentenced at Reading Crown Court. Catherine received a sentence of two years and ten months, while John was given two years in prison. Detective Constable Joshua Pitts of the corruption unit at TVP expressed his disappointment in Catherine's actions, stating that she had abused her position of trust and jeopardized the trust of both the community and the police force. He emphasized the importance of honesty and trustworthiness in the police force and stated that Catherine's behavior fell well below the expected standards.
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