Cop who used police system to snoop for info on crook pals sentenced for Computer Misuse Act offenses

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Former Merseyside police officer sacked after failing to declare he was 'too close' with the wrong crowd

A former Merseyside police officer will today begin his 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after being found guilty of Computer Misuse Act (CMA) and Data Protection Act (DPA) offenses while serving.

Daniel Hughes, 40, from Liverpool, carried out repeated unauthorized searches using police computer systems between 2016 and 2019, often including intelligence related to firearm and drug cases involving members of serious organised crime. 

Between 2019 and 2021, the Crown Prosecution Service also said Hughes relayed sensitive information about ongoing police investigations to “other people.”

He was arrested in March 2022, at which point officers seized his devices and combed through his communications, finding evidence of his relationships with criminals.

Hughes stood trial in April 2026, denying all charges, but was found guilty by a jury in June. 

The former officer was sacked in July following his conviction and an internal misconduct hearing, although he was not sacked for misconduct in a public office.

Hughes had remained on suspension since his 2022 arrest. 

Judge Alan Conrad KC told Manchester Crown Court on Thursday that Hughes was not found to have profited from transmitting details on cases for which he had no legitimate interest, nor did he pass these on to criminal enterprises.

He was also described as an “industrious” police officer, who had joined Merseyside police in 2006, and served “courageously” in the line of duty, having previously been stabbed in 2016 and attacked with a glass bottle in 2019.

However, Hughes fostered and maintained relationships with criminals, and those who themselves were close to criminals, for a period spanning more than ten years.

Hughes was a member of WhatsApp groups alongside criminals, and regularly socialised with them, including going on trips abroad.

It is not strictly an offense for a police officer to have such relationships, although any ties that may compromise an officer or the force must be declared. 

The CPS confirmed that Hughes did not disclose these relationships, which posed an undue risk of creating conflicting interests in his line of work. 

Hughes was found guilty of eight counts of unauthorised access to computer material, contrary to the CMA 1990, and three counts of knowingly or recklessly obtaining or disclosing personal data without the consent of the data controller, contrary to the DPA 2018.

Judge Conrad told Hughes that his friendships were “inappropriate” and that he got “too close” to the individuals in question.

Olivia Travis, a Specialist Prosecutor with CPS Mersey-Cheshire’s Complex Casework Unit, described Hughes as a “corrupt” officer who ignored the ample training he received about maintaining inappropriate relationships.

“Daniel Hughes was a corrupt police officer who abused his position to access sensitive information,” said Travis.

“He maintained longstanding relationships with offenders involved in drugs and firearms, which he deliberately concealed despite a clear duty to declare them.

“Hughes received training on the proper handling of police information but chose to ignore it. His actions demonstrate a complete disregard for the trust placed in him and for the integrity of the criminal justice system.

“The jury has rejected his account that he was acting in the course of his duties. He has now been held accountable for his criminal conduct.” ®