Police call handler jailed following corruption probe

The sentencing took place at Reading Crown Court on Monday

A former Thames Valley Police call handler has been jailed after unlawfully accessing police computer systems and passing on privileged information to drug dealers.

Catherine Arrol, 29, from Silver Close in Maidenhead, had pleaded guilty to four counts of misconduct in a public office, and, together with her brother John Arrol, three further counts of participating in the criminal activities of an organised crime group.

She was arrested in May 2020 following an investigation by officers from Thames Valley Police’s Counter Corruption Unit.

She was jailed for 34 months, and John Arrol for 24 months, at Reading Crown Court.

As a civilian member of staff, Catherine Arrol joined the force in November 2019, answering and logging calls from members of the public.

The Covid-19 pandemic meant that, within weeks, she was required to work from home.

She was issued with a laptop computer, which gave access to details of vehicles and suspects under police surveillance.

Also living at their parents' home in March 2020 was her brother, kitchen fitter John Arrol, 38.

He had friends involved in dealing class A drugs, and made them aware that his sister had access to the police national computer system.

John Arrol was jailed for 24 months

The sentencing hearing was told that on a number of occasions, in March and April 2020, Catherine Arrol accessed the computer to establish whether vehicles which might be used to transport drugs were under police surveillance.

That information was shared in encrypted messages with a network of dealers, enabling them to stay a step ahead of police.

But she failed in attempts to cover-up her unauthorised access of the surveillance data.

Detectives raided her home, seizing the computer and two mobile phones, which enabled investigators to piece together what had been happening.

A number of the drug dealers receiving information are themselves now behind bars.

The court heard Catherine Arrol was, at the time of the offences, a drug user herself.

One mobile phone message mentioned she would receive "a monkey" - £500 - although there was no clear evidence of any payment being made to her in return for sharing police information.

The case was referred by Thames Valley Police to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Catherine Arrol broke down in tears in the dock as His Honour Judge Nawaz sentenced her to 34 months - reduced because of her previous good character, and immediate guilty plea.