Metropolitan Police Officer Dismissed for Unauthorized Access to Sarah Everard Case Files

A Metropolitan Police officer, who was on active duty and accessed documents pertaining to the murder of Sarah Everard, has been terminated from his position. A tribunal concluded that PC Myles McHugh engaged in gross misconduct by viewing the confidential files without a legitimate justification. Former Det Con Hannah Rebbeck and Sgt Mark Harper were also determined by the tribunal to have committed gross misconduct. Ms. Rebbeck has since left the force but would have been dismissed if she had still been serving, while Sgt. Harper received a final written warning. These infractions occurred between March 5 and March 15, 2021, shortly after the 33-year-old marketing executive was abducted and murdered by Wayne Couzens, who was then a serving Met Police officer. The panel was informed that PC McHugh repeatedly accessed the police system to search for details including Ms. Everard’s medical history, employment, character, and lifestyle. Ms. Rebbeck similarly searched for information concerning the 33-year-old on multiple occasions, information that was unrelated to her official responsibilities, with the panel hearing that this activity had “centred on her own morbid curiosity”. Det Con Tyrone Ward, another officer currently in service, along with two former officers who have since retired—Insp Akinwale Ajose-Adeogun and Det Sgt Robert Butters—were also subject to the same accusation of gross misconduct. Nevertheless, the panel determined that these individuals possessed a valid justification for accessing the data and had not violated the standards of police professional conduct. PC Clare Tett, another officer still on duty, is scheduled to appear at a distinct gross misconduct hearing at a future date yet to be determined. Stuart Cundy, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the Met Police, stated that the police force extended its sympathies to Ms. Everard’s relatives and acquaintances. He commented, “We have apologised to them for the added distress this case has caused and I recognise the wider questions and concerns this raises.” The Met confirmed that none of the officers were directly implicated in the criminal inquiry into Ms. Everard’s murder, and no proof emerged that any of them improperly disseminated the information to others. The misconduct proceedings were initiated after an audit was conducted on individuals who had accessed files pertinent to the case, to ascertain if their access was justified. Initially, a total of 104 officers and police personnel were identified as possibly having accessed files without a valid reason. Most of these individuals faced various disciplinary actions, such as written warnings and “reflective practice” training sessions. Mr. Cundy stated that in the majority of instances, those who accessed the files did so “out of curiosity”. He added, “When spoken to, they were remorseful, apologised, admitted poor judgement and were keen to engage in training.“We know that honest mistakes can be made, and the most serious outcomes relate to those who were deliberately evasive or tried to avoid accountability. Those actions are not compatible with the values of the Met.”” Information on accessing BBC Radio London content via Sounds and connecting with BBC London on Facebook, X, and Instagram is provided. Story ideas can be submitted to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material on external sites. Details regarding its approach to external linking are available.