Patrick Edrich

Former Merseyside Police temporary sergeant Daniel Hughes was convicted of eight counts of unauthorised access to computer material and three counts of unlawfully disclosing personal data. The court heard that between 2016 and 2021 he maintained social relationships, holidays and race-meeting trips with criminals linked to the EncroChat network, while repeatedly searching police systems for intelligence about them and sharing snippets of information in WhatsApp chats. A jury acquitted him of dozens of additional charges, and there was no evidence that he profited financially or directly passed restricted files to criminals. Hughes, who had previously been injured in two attacks while on duty, was dismissed by Merseyside Police. He received a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years, 10 rehabilitation days, 250 hours of unpaid work and a £750 fine.