Former Leicestershire PC hacked into girlfriend's social media account

PC Andy Gardner pleaded guilty to computer misuse in 2020

A former police officer who hacked into his girlfriend's social media account committed gross misconduct, a disciplinary panel has found.

Ex-Leicestershire PC Andy Gardner hacked into the account of his partner, another serving officer, in 2018.

He later pleaded guilty to computer misuse and was handed a community order and banned from contacting the woman.

Police said Gardner would have been sacked had he still been with the force.

A police spokesperson said when he accessed the account - in November 2018 - he changed the password, enabling him to get into the account without the owner's knowledge, which he kept hidden until his arrest.

In 2020, Gardner was charged with computer misuse and later that year, admitted the offence at Northampton Crown Court.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order on 7 March and given a three-year restraining order - barring him from contacting and going within 100 metres of the woman he had been in a relationship with.

'Completely unacceptable'

He was the subject of a gross misconduct hearing, on 2 September, and was alleged to have breached the standards of professional behaviour - namely honesty and integrity, authority, respect and courtesy, and discreditable conduct.

These allegations were proven, and the panel said had he still been a serving officer, he would have been dismissed.

Head of Leicestershire Police's professional standards department, Det Supt Rich Ward, said: "The force and the public rightly expect all of our police officers to maintain the highest standards of behaviour both on and off duty.

"In this case, the actions of the former officer were completely unacceptable.

"He will now also be placed on the police barred list."