Met officer sacked for accessing Sarah Everard murder files

A Met cop has been sacked after accessing police files relating to the disappearance and murder of Sarah Everard. 

PC Myles McHugh committed gross misconduct by viewing confidential files without proper reason, a tribunal has found.

The tribunal also found that former Detective Constable Hannah Rebbeck and Sergeant Mark Harper accessed the confidential files without proper reason.

Ms Rebbeck, who previously resigned, would have been dismissed had she still been serving, while Sgt Harper was handed a final written warning to last three years.

The offences took place between March 5 and March 15, 2021 – soon after Ms Everard’s disappearance.

Ms Everard was kidnapped by serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens – who was off-duty at the time – in Clapham on March 3, 2021. Couzens had falsely arrested the 33-year-old for breaking lockdown restrictions, then raped and murdered her.

The panel heard that PC McHugh accessed the information while off duty and for a significant period of time, while former DC Rebbeck was found to have repeatedly accessed sensitive data without any link to her duties. 

Detective Constable Tyrone Ward, former Inspector Akinwale Ajose-Adeogun and former Detective Sergent Robert Butters also faced the same misconduct hearing. 

The panel concluded that they did have a legitimate reason for accessing the information and did not breach the standards of police professional behaviour. 

Another serving officer, PC Clare Tett, will face a separate gross misconduct hearing on a date to be set.

A member of police staff previously faced a private gross misconduct hearing and was dismissed.

None of the officers or staff had direct involvement in the criminal investigation into the murder of Ms Everard, and no evidence was found that any individual had “inappropriately” shared information with any other individual, the Met said.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said: “Today as always, our thoughts remain with Sarah Everard’s family and friends. We have apologised to them for the added distress this case has caused and I recognise the wider questions and concerns this raises. 

“Our officers and staff are regularly reminded that police systems and specific files must only be accessed where there is a legitimate policing purpose to do so.”

Following the murder of Ms Everard, a taskforce from the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards carried out an audit of those who had accessed files relating to her disappearance and the subsequent murder investigation. 

In total, 104 officers and staff – 68 officers and 36 staff members – were initially identified as potentially accessing files relating to the investigation without a legitimate policing purpose. 

A majority of those were subject to forms of discipline including written warnings and “reflective practice” training sessions.

DAC Cundy said: “The vast majority of those who had inappropriately accessed information admitted they had done so out of curiosity. When spoken to, they were remorseful, apologised, admitted poor judgement and were keen to engage in training.”

Pictured top: Sarah Everard was murdered by Wayne Couzens in 2021 (Picture: Family handout)