Former Whitby PCSO sentenced over misuse of police computer

Former PCSO Daisy Pennock was sentenced at Scarborough Magistrates' Court on Monday

A former police community support officer (PCSO) who used work IT systems to carry out unauthorised searches has been sentenced.

Whitby-based Daisy Pennock, 26, pleaded guilty to seven charges under the Computer Misuse Act.

The former North Yorkshire Police worker was ordered to do 60 hours of unpaid work at Scarborough Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Pennock also faced a police misconduct hearing, the police watchdog said.

York Magistrates' Court heard in November that Pennock had accessed the police computer while working at Whitby Police Station after recognising the name of someone who had been arrested.

She then informed a relative about the arrested individual and returned to the case file on further occasions.

The court heard there was no suggestion she had attempted to interfere in the investigation.

The offences took place between April and November 2021, an investigation by North Yorkshire Police's Professional Standards Department and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found.

IOPC Director of Major Investigations Steve Noonan said Pennock had "abused the trust put in her and her actions have the potential to damage the public's confidence in policing".

"The investigation ensured she was held accountable for her actions and she now has a criminal record as a result," he added.

An IOPC spokesperson said the organisation found Pennock had a case to answer for gross misconduct for alleged breaches of the police staff standards of professional behaviour with respect to discreditable conduct and confidentiality.