Financial crime investigator fined after sending police intel via WhatsApp

55-year-old is currently suspended from job with IoM Constabulary

A financial crime investigator has been fined £1,500 after sending police intelligence to her family members over WhatsApp.

Sharen Judith Gardner, of Queens Terrace in Douglas, sent an image over the messaging platform on or about 10 May last year.

She was caught after police seized a mobile phone as part of an unrelated matter; when they extracted the data on it, they found a group chat which included Gardner.

It also contained her husband, who is a retired police officer, and their two children.

The 55-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to unlawfully obtaining personal data and is currently suspended from her civilian role with the Isle of Man Constabulary.

You can find out more HERE.

The court heard Gardner had sent an image showing her computer screen at work which was displaying 26 intelligence reports from the constabulary’s CONNECT database; personal data was clearly visible.

The subsequent message thread saw Gardner state her home address would be ‘on there next’, acknowledging she knew she could get in trouble for sending it, and discussion about a Class C drug.

The prosecutor told the court the intelligence reports pictured were of a ‘sensitive and restricted nature’ and Gardner was not allowed to disclose the information.

During sentencing at Douglas Courthouse Gardner’s advocate said the incident was ‘a foolish episode’ adding after she'd sent the image it was ‘forgotten about’ and ‘no harm had come’ with her continuing in her role without incident, for several months, until the chat was discovered by police.

He said: “This was a true one-off incident. She’s an extremely well thought of individual, [but this] may derail her professional career altogether.”

The advocate added her arrest at her workplace ‘caused a great deal of upset and embarrassment’.

Fining her, and ordering her to pay prosecution costs, Magistrates told Gardner the files were ‘not for your own personal amusement to share’ but admitted ‘this was an isolated incident done on a whim’.

Update: Manx Radio asked the Isle of Man Constabulary to confirm whether – in light of this conviction – Gardner is still employed. 

It declined to answer the question. 

It also refused to confirm whether disciplinary procedures in a case involving another civilian worker – Peter Devereau – had been concluded and whether he remained employed with the Isle of Man Constabulary.

A request for interview was also declined.