06 August 2026

News Item Cyber / online crime Mersey-Cheshire

A former Merseyside Police officer has been sentenced for unlawfully accessing police computer systems and searching for information on his criminal associates.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that Daniel Hughes, 40, from Liverpool, used police systems to carry out repeated unauthorised checks between 2016 and 2019.

These checks included viewing intelligence and previous incidents linked to individuals involved in serious organised crime, including drugs and firearms offences.

Further investigation showed that between 2019 – 2021, Hughes also relayed sensitive information about ongoing police investigations to other people.

Merseyside Police requires officers to declare any associations which may compromise themselves or the organisation.

Hughes failed to do so, despite relationships with individuals involved in criminality spanning more than 10 years.

He was in contact with individuals through WhatsApp groups, social activities and trips abroad.

Audits of Hughes’ use of police computer systems revealed sustained access to files he had no legitimate reason to view.

Following his arrest in March 2022, his mobile phone was seized and examined, revealing his association with a number of those individuals.

Following a lengthy investigation, the CPS authorised charges of unauthorised access to computer material and knowingly disclosing personal data without consent.

Hughes denied all charges and stood trial at Manchester Crown Court from 20 April 2026.

On 17 June 2026, the jury returned verdicts of guilty on eight counts of unauthorised access to computer material and 3 counts of knowingly disclosing personal data without consent. 

He was acquitted of further counts of unauthorised access to computer material and knowingly disclosing personal data without consent.

Today, 6 August 2026, at Manchester Crown Court, he was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment suspended for two years. He must also complete 10 days of unpaid work and was fined £750.

Olivia Travis, a Specialist Prosecutor with CPS Mersey-Cheshire’s Complex Casework Unit, said: “Daniel Hughes is a former police officer who is now a convicted criminal. He abused his position to access sensitive information.

“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.”

• Daniel Hughes (DOB: 06/01/1986), a former police officer with Merseyside Police, was found guilty at Manchester Crown Court on 17 June 2026.
• He was convicted of:
  • 8 counts of unauthorised access to computer material, contrary to the Computer Misuse Act 1990; and
  • 3 counts of knowingly or recklessly obtaining or disclosing personal data without the consent of the data controller, contrary to the Data Protection Act 2018.
• He was suspended from Merseyside Police after he was arrested and his employment was terminated on 15 July 2026 following conviction.