A former British counter-terrorism detective was found guilty on Monday of trying to sell information about a phone hacking investigation to the Rupert Murdoch-owned News of the World tabloid.
A jury convicted Detective Chief Inspector April Casburn of offering the now-defunct newspaper information about a probe into whether Scotland Yard’s inquiry into the illegal hacking of mobile phones should be reopened.
Casburn, 53, who remained impassive as the verdict was given at Southwark Crown Court in London, was found guilty of one count of misconduct in public office after a trial lasting just four days.
At the time of the offence in September 2010, Casburn was working in Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism unit, managing the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit.
The jury heard that one of her team had been asked to carry out financial investigations as part of the phone hacking probe.
She rang the News of the World’s news desk early one morning to offer information in exchange for payment.
Prosecutor Mark Bryant-Heron said she attempted to undermine the hacking investigation by contacting the News of the World, the paper at the centre of the allegations.
“She sought to undermine a highly sensitive and high-profile investigation at the point of its launch,” he told the court.
“It was a gross breach of the trust that the public places in a police officer not to disclose information on a current investigation in an unauthorised way, or to offer to do so in the future for payment.”
He said that her conduct was “disgraceful” and the phone call was “malicious”.
Casburn admitted contacting the newspaper, but denied asking for money or offering any information that was not already in the public domain.
She will be sentenced at a later date.
Judge Adrian Fulford warned there was a “real possibility” she would face a prison sentence, but said he would take into account that Casburn is in the process of adopting a three-year-old child.
A News of the World reporter and a private investigator were jailed in 2007 for hacking the voicemails of royal aides.
The tabloid denied there was a bigger problem, but when wider evidence of illegal hacking emerged in 2011 the investigation was re-opened.
Murdoch closed down the News of the World in July 2011 after revelations that it had hacked celebrities and the voicemail of murdered teenage girl Milly Dowler.
UK detective guilty of offering leaks in hacking scandal
