Former North Wales detective sentenced to eight months for illegal data access

At Caernarfon Crown Court, former detective inspector Emma Gardner was sentenced to eight months in prison for breaching the Computer Misuse Act by accessing police computer logs without authorization. The illicit activity, carried out from January to September 2022, involved 13 digital occurrences linked to a male friend and three women, none of which were part of any investigation she was assigned to. Prosecutors said Gardner shared the information with the man, a former bouncer she had met while serving as a uniformed officer in Rhyl and later became a Facebook contact.

She did not disclose the relationship to the police anti-corruption unit, leading to her suspension and eventual resignation. Deputy Chief Constable Nigel Harrison described the conduct as criminal and below policing standards, while the judge warned that even senior officers must obey the law. Gardner is expected to serve roughly a third of her sentence before being released on licence.