Former Merseyside Police sergeant sentenced for snooping on criminal associates
Daniel Hughes received a suspended sentence after using police systems to benefit associates involved in organized crime.
A former Merseyside Police sergeant has been sentenced for abusing his position to unlawfully access sensitive police intelligence for the benefit of criminal associates. Daniel Hughes, 40, was sentenced on August 6, 2026, following convictions for computer misuse and data protection breaches.
The court heard that Hughes was convicted of eight counts of unauthorised access to computer material under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 and three counts of disclosing personal data under the Data Protection Act 2018. He was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work and pay a £750 fine.
A decade of undeclared ties
Hughes joined the force in 2006, but the court found he maintained relationships with individuals involved in serious organised crime—including firearms and drug offences—for more than 10 years. Despite Merseyside Police policy requiring the disclosure of such associations, Hughes failed to notify his employer of these ties.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service, the abuse of power occurred in two phases. Between 2016 and 2019, Hughes conducted unauthorised checks on police systems. Subsequently, between 2019 and 2021, he relayed sensitive personal data to others. Olivia Travis, a Specialist Prosecutor with CPS Mersey-Cheshire, described Hughes as a "corrupt police officer who abused his position to access sensitive information."
Integrity and internal risk
The case underscores the persistent vulnerability of sensitive intelligence systems to internal threats. When officers bypass security protocols to assist criminal elements, it compromises active investigations and threatens the safety of the public and other officers. Judge Alan Conrad KC noted that while there may have been other aspects to Hughes' character, there was a "different side" to him that rendered him "unsuitable to carrying out police duties."
For the criminal justice system, the breach highlights the critical necessity of strict officer disclosure policies. The failure to report associations with organised crime creates a blind spot that can be exploited for corruption, undermining the integrity of the entire force.
Future oversight
This sentencing serves as a warning regarding the monitoring of internal database access. While Hughes has now been removed from the force and sentenced, the case prompts further scrutiny into how police forces audit the use of sensitive data to prevent similar abuses of trust. It remains to be seen if this case will trigger a wider review of disclosure compliance across other UK police forces.