Former Derbyshire Police Staff Jailed Over Leaked Secrets to Criminal Boyfriends

A Leicester Crown Court has handed down prison sentences to two former call handlers from Derbyshire Police, Jessica Fitzhugh and Ellie-Mae Doherty, both 22, for misusing confidential police data. Doherty received an 11-month jail term, while Fitzhugh was sentenced to four months behind bars. The charges stemmed from their unauthorized access to sensitive police information concerning their partners, one of whom also went a step further by relaying critical details to her criminal boyfriend.

According to court proceedings, Doherty had only served three months with Derbyshire Police when she divulged classified information regarding an impending drug operation to her boyfriend. Her actions came to light when investigators discovered a message on her partner’s phone, which read: “My bird who works at Ripley police got into work and texted me to ring Stirch but was five minutes too late.”

During sentencing, Judge Timothy Spencer KC described the women as “naive” 19-year-olds at the time of their offences, referring to them “loosely” as “girlfriends of two undesirable young men.” He admonished them, stating, “Regrettably and for reasons that now you will find impossible to rationalise, you both flaunted the clear training, the clear direction and the clear guidelines you were given by the Derbyshire Police.” The judge highlighted Doherty’s more severe breach, noting, “In your case Ellie-Mae Doherty it went further because the information you accessed was clearly passed on in two distinct ways at two distinct times.”

Fitzhugh commenced her employment with Derbyshire Police in January 2023, at age 19, initially as a call handler before transitioning to a dispatcher role. She later recommended her friend Doherty for a position within the force, leading to Doherty joining as a call handler in September 2023. The duo had previously met while working at McDonald’s.

Both women underwent what was described in court as “intense” vetting prior to joining the police force. They were also required to read and sign declarations affirming they had no contacts involved in “criminal activities.” Prosecutor Helen Rodger informed the court that both women were in relationships with men engaged in criminal activities and should have recognized these as “disclosable associations.”

Beyond providing her boyfriend with intelligence about the planned drug operation, Doherty also shared information concerning a separate incident where another individual had damaged a window. Fitzhugh, on the other hand, accessed incident-related information during the spring of 2024, which the judge characterized as mere “idle curiosity.”

The two defendants maintained separate seating in the dock during their sentencing, accompanied by their family members. Judge Spencer speculated that the case might have strained their friendship, remarking that their “friendship has not survived this case.” He added, “I have little doubt that it will haunt you for the rest of your days.” Acknowledging the positive character evidence presented for the defendants, the judge expressed, “It’s impossible to recognise the young women who I read about, with such positive qualities, in the women who committed these offences.”

The charges against both women were brought in April, following an investigation initiated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct after conduct referrals. Doherty received an 11-month jail term, while Fitzhugh was sentenced to four months in prison.