Ellie-Mae Doherty, 22, who had been employed by Derbyshire Police for only three months, accessed and shared information with her boyfriend, who had a criminal record. She attempted to alert him to a planned police raid on three properties belonging to his associates.
Investigators discovered evidence of Doherty's actions through a message found on her boyfriend's phone. The message, sent to an associate, stated, "My bird who works at Ripley police got into work and texted me to ring 'Stirch' but was five minutes too late." The prosecution indicated that Doherty intended to warn an individual known as Cope, also referred to as 'Stirch', about his custody status.
Doherty admitted to misconduct in public office and failing to disclose her associations with criminals. She began her role as a call handler at Derbyshire police headquarters at the age of 19. Her sentencing hearing took place at Leicester Crown Court.
Jessica Fitzhugh, also 22, who had started the same job eight months prior to Doherty, appeared alongside her. Fitzhugh had recommended Doherty for the position. Fitzhugh pleaded not guilty to misconduct in public office but admitted to accessing unauthorized material on police systems and photographing data.
Both women had signed declarations stating they did not associate with individuals with criminal convictions or those engaged in criminal activities. They had also undergone counter-corruption training emphasizing that information could only be accessed for policing purposes. Prosecutors noted that both women were aware of their boyfriends' criminal convictions and other associates involved in crime.
The first instance of misuse of police systems by Doherty reportedly occurred in December 2023 when she sent a message to her boyfriend regarding a fight involving his associates. Three months later, she accessed police systems to discover details about search warrants being executed at three addresses linked to her boyfriend's associates. She reportedly viewed these details multiple times within a 32-minute period and checked the custody status of individuals.
Anti-corruption detectives and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigated allegations against both women. Fitzhugh was sentenced to four months in prison, with the judge allowing the more serious charge to remain on her file.