Story perspectives

Officers Get 11- and 4-Month Sentences for Database Misuse

9/4/2026

Summary

Story summary

Ellie-Mae Doherty and Jessica Fitzhugh received 11-month and four-month sentences.
They accessed police databases without legitimate need and viewed acquaintances' crime details.
Doherty passed details to boyfriend Robbie Braddock and tried to tip him off about a March 6, 2024 search-warrant.
IOPC director Emily Barry said the sentences warn misusing police systems.
Derbyshire Police will hold misconduct hearings and could bar the officers from future policing.

History

Historical Context

The PNC, launched in 1974 and holding 13 million person records by 2021, has repeatedly faced misuse concerns. After a 2025 rapid review ordered by Police Commissioner Richard Chambers into police information security and a 2022 privacy inquiry that forced deletion of unlawfully collected data, Derbyshire officers again breached the system in March 2024. These episodes drive calls for tighter audit trails and permanent sanctions.

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Story summary

Ellie-Mae Doherty and Jessica Fitzhugh received 11-month and four-month sentences.
They accessed police databases without legitimate need and viewed acquaintances' crime details.
Doherty passed details to boyfriend Robbie Braddock and tried to tip him off about a March 6, 2024 search-warrant.
IOPC director Emily Barry said the sentences warn misusing police systems.
Derbyshire Police will hold misconduct hearings and could bar the officers from future policing.

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