Overview
- Recorder Nicholas Dean KC directed not guilty verdicts on four counts of misconduct in public office at Manchester Crown Court on Friday.
- The ruling came after the court found the prosecution’s phone evidence lacked context sufficient to prove serious misconduct.
- Investigators had recovered more than 50 images from Ryan Connolly’s WhatsApp sent folder, including selfies at a 2018 murder cordon, photos of vulnerable people, and shots of police systems and colleagues.
- Police could not recover accompanying messages to show who received the images, and the judge noted there was no evidence of wider dissemination beyond an instance to a supervising officer.
- Connolly remains dismissed from Merseyside Police and is due to be sentenced for three admitted counts of possessing extreme pornographic images, as prosecutors consider whether to challenge the ruling before Monday.