Met Police officer sacked over Sarah Everard case searches
PC Clare Tett accessed seven confidential records out of curiosity, a misconduct panel found.
Metropolitan Police Constable Clare Tett has been dismissed from the force after a misconduct panel determined she accessed seven confidential records without a proper policing purpose. The records included information pertaining to Sarah Everard and Wayne Couzens. The panel found that PC Tett's actions on March 10, 2021, were motivated by curiosity to discover the identity of the officer who had arrested Couzens in connection with Ms Everard's disappearance.
PC Tett, who was working in the Met's South West Basic Command Unit Criminal Justice Team at the time, was not involved in the investigation into Ms Everard's disappearance or Couzens' detention. Wayne Couzens was arrested a day before the searches were conducted. The panel heard that PC Tett accessed records protected by data protection law, including those relating to Couzens and his wife, as well as a crime report concerning Ms Everard’s disappearance.
Curiosity cited as motive
PC Tett maintained that she had a legitimate policing purpose for accessing the information, suggesting she was verifying the accuracy of police systems using a live case. Her defence argued that her role involved database searches and that her choice of a high-profile case was an error in judgement. She also stated she used the case to refresh her licence for the police system, which had been dormant. However, the panel rejected these explanations.
The panel concluded that the most likely explanation for PC Tett's actions was that she was motivated by curiosity to identify the arresting officer. It found her actions to be deliberate and intentional, driven by "pure curiosity." The panel determined that PC Tett breached professional standards concerning confidentiality, orders, and discreditable conduct, amounting to gross misconduct. Allegations of breaching honesty and integrity standards were not proven.
Given the seriousness of the misconduct, the panel decided that a final written warning would be insufficient. PC Tett was dismissed without notice. The panel stated that a final written warning would not adequately reflect the gravity of her actions.
Questions this report answers
01Why was PC Clare Tett dismissed from the Metropolitan Police?
PC Clare Tett was dismissed because a misconduct panel found she accessed seven confidential police records without a proper policing purpose. The panel concluded her actions were motivated by curiosity to identify the arresting officer in the Sarah Everard case.
02What kind of records did PC Tett access?
PC Tett accessed seven records protected by data protection law. These included information relating to Wayne Couzens and his wife, and a crime report concerning the disappearance of Sarah Everard.
03What was PC Tett's defence for accessing the records?
PC Tett claimed she had a legitimate policing purpose, stating she was checking system accuracy and using the case to refresh her dormant licence to use police systems. Her defence suggested it was an error in judgement due to the case's high profile.
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