A policeman has been sentenced after sharing sensitive data with a family member.

John-Paul Critchley, 32, of Wrennall Court, Darcy Lever, appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court on Monday, May 15 after pleading guilty to disclosing personal data.

Critchley, formerly a paramedic with North West Ambulance Service, joined Lancashire Police in 2019.

Peter Williams, prosecuting, said: “On August 4, 2020, there was an incident where he had to detain a member of the public.”

After that, Critchley accessed a Lancashire Police computer and took a screenshot of a statement taken from someone who had been arrested and detained.

The statement named the person and gave the location of the incident that had taken place, as well as naming other police officers who had been involved.

Mr Williams added: “On August 4, 2020, he then sent some images to his partner's mum, who was looking after one of his children.

“The information was sent to explain why he was late, or would be late in picking his daughter up.”

Critchley then sent further messages to his partner's mum on August 5, 2020, discussing further details about people in relation to the incident he had attended the previous day.

Mr Williams added: “Clearly an offence has been committed, it is in breach of trust.”

Mr Williams said that Critchley also mentioned information about a person who had not been arrested and discussed Lancashire Police operational procedures.

District Judge Thomas Mitchell said: “The real question is why did he do it, I would suggest stupidity and showing off.”

Defending, Julian King said: “He joined Lancashire Constabulary in 2019, his previous working life was with the ambulance service.

“He had always harboured a passion and desire for becoming a police officer.”

Mr King said at the time of the offence Critchley was still fairly new to the role and was working late regularly, with his mother-in-law having to look after his children.

Mr King added: “He was working late on a regular basis, fairly young in the role, trying to find his feet and was finding it very difficult to organise childcare.

“It was such that he felt he needed to justify his lateness, that he was working and couldn’t leave.”

Concluding, Judge Mitchell said: “The difficulty is, and you will know yourself, that the public are entitled to rely upon officers.

“The law takes very a detailed and stringent view on how criminal evidence finds its way into the world.

“One way it doesn’t is through family members, even if it’s to explain why you are late to pick up children.”

Since the allegations of the offences came out, Critchley had been suspended with pay from Lancashire Police.

Judge Mitchell added: “On the balance of probabilities, as a result of a criminal conviction, it is very likely with criminal proceedings that it is the case that you will no longer be a police officer in the very near future.”

Critchley was ordered to pay a total of £1,835, including a fine of £1,250, £85 in legal costs and a £500 victim surcharge.

Judge Mitchell gave him a year to pay it.