Experienced Telford detective accused of gross misconduct defends accessing police records about himself and family

Detective Constable Thomas Lauder, aged 42, admitted accessing police records on numerous occasions between 2012 and 2022 including after receiving training on confidentiality.

“I got things wrong, I accept that,” DC Lauder, who has been with West Mercia Police for 17 years, told the first day of a two-day hearing in Worcestershire on Wednesday (January 15).

“But it was not in a malicious or deceitful way. I was trying to assist but should have raised it and I apologise for that.

“It was misconduct but not gross misconduct.”

The breaches included him receiving Ring doorbell footage by email from his father when it should have gone to officers investigating a non-dwelling burglary.

On other occasions he found information about himself after he had been the victim of an assault that had left him with tendon injuries and restricted to office tasks.

The hearing was told that misconduct hearings are held in public to show that officers are held accountable for their actions.

DC Lauder told the hearing that in July 2017 he had come across the name of the person who had attacked him.

He said he used that information to warn officers to be aware that they were attending the home of a violent offender.

DC Lauder agreed that he had attended relevant courses but told the hearing that he did not know every part of force policies. His breaches took place soon after he had been on training courses in 2012 and continued.

“I hold my hands up that I, like a lot of other officers, had not read the policies page by page,” he said.

On another occasion he was allocated to a crime that involved his own father. He said: “In hindsight I should have refused but I attended, logged and dealt with it.”

Fiona Wise, barrister for the ‘appropriate authority’, told the hearing that DC Lauder had conceded that he had made six breaches and two breaches in part of standards of professional behaviour. He faced 19 counts in total.

Ms Wise said the force also contended that the officer had breached standards in the other cases too.

“Curiosity is not a valid reason.

“Not knowing or being aware of policy as an officer who has been trained is not a defence.”

She urged the panel of three to rule that the officer had committed gross misconduct.

The hearing was told that police hold lots of information and to keep the confidence of the public officers are only allowed to access it for “proper policing purposes”.

Ms Wise said: “There were so many occasions over time by an experienced officer that this is a matter of gross misconduct.”

Francesca Perera, barrister for DC Lauder, said he had served for 17 years and his record was “unblemished” until these issues arose.

She said that the authority has not proved its case and DC Lauder’s defence had remained “broadly the same".

“You have no evidence to rebut or disprove what the officer has told you.

“He was a proper person inadvertently coming across information to help and he should not be punished for that.”

She urged that the panel rule that DC Lauder should be found to have carried out misconduct but not gross misconduct.

The hearing was told that the issues involved did not amount to dishonesty and the panel accepted that they would not need to consider character references when coming to their conclusion.

The hearing was told that DC Lauder found information about himself, his sister, his father, and his father-in-law in police systems a number of times as far back as 2012 and up to 2022.

The hearing was told that DC Lauder had been an officer at Donnington, Malinsgate and Bridgnorth since becoming a police officer as a 24-year-old.

DC Lauder told a panel of three that he had a “terrible” time since the allegations emerged.

“I accept that I was in the wrong,” DC Lauder told the hearing on Wednesday. “It was not out of dishonesty.

“I accept that I have gone the wrong way about it but for what I thought was the right reasons. In future I would not do it.”

In January 2016 DC Lauder said he had been the victim of an assault while serving at Malinsgate station. He had suffered damage to tendons and ligaments and was carrying out general office tasks when he found his own profile, he told the hearing.

In 2017 DC Lauder’s sister-in-law was the victim of a knifepoint robbery, and when he checked the crime reports as a response officer the next day he found her name and gave her a crime log number.

He told the panel that she had not been updated about the crime and wanted to help her.

“Now, with hindsight, I should have stopped my involvement in that,” he said. On other occasions he claimed to be accessing information for “proper policing purposes.”

Police officers are not allowed to access details of themselves or family members. If they do, they should notify their superior, the hearing was told.

Misconduct hearings are held to present the facts of the case when West Mercia Police believes someone employed by the force has breached the standards of professional behaviour.

Misconduct hearings are held to present the facts of the case and allow the person to give an explanation of their conduct and the circumstances surrounding the allegation. Witnesses may also be called to give evidence.

The hearing continues.