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A tribunal has found that PC Myles McHugh, a serving Metropolitan Police officer, committed gross misconduct by accessing confidential files relating to the murder of Sarah Everard. Ms Everard was killed by serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens in 2021. McHugh repeatedly accessed the police system for details about the victim’s medical history, employment, character and lifestyle, the panel heard.
Former Detective Constable Hannah Rebbeck and Sergeant Mark Harper were also found to have committed gross misconduct. Rebbeck, who has since left the force, would have been dismissed had she still been serving. Harper was issued with a final written warning. Detective Constable Tyrone Ward and two retired officers, Inspector Akinwale Ajose-Adeogun and Detective Sergeant Robert Butters, faced the same gross misconduct charge but were found to have had a legitimate reason for accessing the information.
No evidence was found that any of the officers in question inappropriately shared information with others. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy of the Met apologised to Everard’s family and friends, saying, “We know that honest mistakes can be made, and the most serious outcomes relate to those who were deliberately evasive or tried to avoid accountability. Those actions are not compatible with the values of the Met.”
A total of 104 officers and police staff were initially identified as potentially having accessed files without cause. Curiosity was identified as the primary motive. The majority of staff identified were subject to disciplinaries including written warnings and training sessions.
The misconduct hearing followed an audit of those who accessed files relating to the Everard case to determine whether they had legitimate cause to do so. Another serving officer will face a separate gross misconduct hearing at a later date
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