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Ex-Lancashire Detective Jailed for Coercive Control and Police Database Misuse

The court imposed a 30-month term with a ten-year restraining order after guilty pleas.

Overview

  • Prosecutors said Harvey accessed force databases in 2012 and 2013 to check the woman’s vehicle details and obtain her landline without a legitimate purpose.
  • The admitted controlling behaviour occurred between December 2015 and July 2016, featuring threats of self-harm and fabricated claims about his health to manipulate the victim.
  • He worked as a detective in Lancashire Police’s Sexual Offenders Management Unit before retiring in 2018, which the court heard compounded the betrayal of public trust.
  • A jury cleared him of three rape charges in 2025; the sentence covers the coercive control and computer misuse offences he admitted.
  • Lancashire Police officials condemned his conduct and highlighted ongoing anti-corruption work focused on safeguarding women and preventing misuse of police systems.