Overview
- A Caernarfon Crown Court jury found Detective Inspector Emma Gardner guilty of unauthorised access to police computer material on Thursday after she viewed logs about a close male friend and three women.
- Judge Timothy Petts told Gardner custody would be 'uppermost' in his mind and she was bailed for a pre-sentence report ahead of a sentencing hearing scheduled for early September.
- Prosecutors said the files related to a 'relatively minor complaint' and 'tittle-tattle' and argued Gardner passed information to the male friend, whom she had a personal relationship with; Gardner told the jury she believed every access had a policing purpose.
- Gardner joined North Wales Police in 2000 and has worked in roles including the Protecting Vulnerable People Unit; she has been suspended during the criminal case and Deputy Chief Constable Nigel Harrison said misconduct proceedings will now follow the verdict.
- The case highlights risks from misuse of privileged access to policing systems, underlines the dual criminal and employment routes for officer accountability, and could prompt closer scrutiny of internal safeguards and trust in the force.