A former poster girl for the Met Police firearms unit illegally emailed herself personal data in a bid to expose ‘corruption and prejudice’ against BAME officers, a court heard today.
Carol Howard, 41, worked for the Met between 2001 and 2014 and featured on the force’s security posters during the London 2012 Olympic Games.
She was later employed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) on a short-term contract from October 2016 to March 2017.
The IPCC, now the Independent Office for Police Conduct, oversees the police complaints system in England and Wales.
Croydon Crown Court heard Howard forwarded 101 emails from her IPCC account to her Hotmail one, including sensitive information about a sexual offence case committed by a police officer.
The court was told she was compiling evidence for a whistleblowing complaint she launched against the IPCC for their alleged mistreatment of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) officers after she left in March 2018.
She denies one count of unlawfully obtaining personal data and another of unlawfully disclosing personal data between March 28 and April 6 2017.
Carol Howard, 41, is pictured outside Croydon Crown Court, south London today, where she is charged with two data offences
Howard was employed as an IPCC investigator in 2016 and is said to have to sent the emails to her solicitor weeks after her contract ended.
In her role, she had direct access to personal and sensitive data for cases on which she was working, including criminal and disciplinary matters.
A jury was told sensitive data could include information about a person’s race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual life, physical and mental health and criminal offences.
Prosecuting, Eva Niculiu said: ‘As part of her role as investigator, the defendant had daily access to personal data and sensitive data for the cases on which she was working.
‘Two to three weeks after the defendant’s employment was ended, the emails were accessed.
‘What transpired was in the days leading up to April 6 2017, 101 emails had been sent from the defendant’s IPCC email address to her personal email addresses – a Hotmail address.
‘Some of these emails contained personal data including sensitive personal data.
‘For example on April 14, the defendant forwarded herself an email containing four attachments containing alleged sexual offences committed by a serving police officer with the address of the alleged victim and perpetrator.
‘She also obtained when she left a copy of her blue books and provided a copy of that blue book to her solicitor.
‘Subsequently, the defendant started an employment tribunal claim against the IPCC between March 1 and March 22 2018.’
The 41-year-old (pictured in 2014) worked for the Met between 2001 and 2014 and featured on security posters for the force during the London 2012 Olympic Games
When interviewed by police, Howard admitted to forwarding the emails to herself and then onto her personal email, the court heard.
Ms Niculiu added: ‘Her reasons for sending out the emails were set out as to obtain legal advice on them to gather evidence for her whistleblowing case.’
The court heard this case included whistleblowing against alleged discriminatory officers and the corruption and cohesive targeting of IPCC staff, referring specifically to the emails sent on April 4.
In her police interview, Howard said she was not aware if the attachment related to the serving police officer and had she known, she would not have sent it.
Ms Niculiu added: ‘The defendant said in her statement that […] she was unaware of the particular attachment.
‘She accepted that that attachment was not relevant to her tribunal case whatsoever and had she been aware she would not have forwarded it and she apologised for forwarding it.’
Five months after Howard’s employment ended, the IPCC reported the matter to the Information Commissions Office and she was later interviewed by police.
The two charges against her relate to identifiable individuals, namely information related to victims, witnesses and service users. The trial continues.