A police officer stationed in Gainsborough and a former colleague have been formally dismissed after being found guilty of misconduct in public office.
PC 514 Laura Vickers and former PC 1400 Joshua Hammerton were called to two separate hearings at Lincolnshire Police HQ in Nettleham on Wednesday, though neither was present.
In July, Vickers was convicted by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court for two counts of misconduct while in her role as a police officer.
The incidents in question took place between December 2018 and October 2022 where she was alleged to have accessed private police data systems to retrieve personal information.
She was subsequently accused of deliberately sharing her access credentials with another officer, Hammerton, thereby granting him unauthorised access to police data.
The officer is now awaiting sentencing for these criminal charges, scheduled for a December hearing.
Liz Briggs, representing East Midlands Police Legal Services, contended that Vickers’ actions constituted gross misconduct and significantly undermined public trust.
She remarked: “Police systems hold a significant amount of information, and so there’s a clear expectation from the public that such data should be protected.”
Chief Constable Chris Haward concurred with this view, ultimately deciding to dismiss PC Vickers without notice.
Similarly, in April 2022, Hammerton pleaded guilty to charges of misconduct in a public office and two counts of computer misuse.
Accusations suggest the ex-officer accessed police databases with the intention to procure personal details of individuals.
On two occasions, he knowingly manipulated a computer to gain unauthorised data access, fully aware of the illicit nature of his actions.
Hammerton is also awaiting sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court, scheduled for December 5.
Taking this into account, Chief Constable Haward said: “Facts are irrefutable and the admission of guilt in crown court supports that.”
Although he resigned from the force before the hearing, had he not done so, he would have also faced dismissal without notice.
Originally published on MyLocal Lincolnshire
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