Admin l Friday, February 10, 2017
OLD BAILEY, London, United Kingdom – Two women who conspired to unlawfully gain access to the Metropolitan Police criminal intelligence system have been jailed.
The corruption was prompted by the conviction of Leon De St Aubin and Rupert Ross at the Old Bailey on 8 November 2011. Both were found guilty of the gangland execution of Darcy Austin-Bruce; this murder was investigated by detectives from Operation Trident.
In 2012 two Metropolitan Designated Detention Officers (DDOs), Lydia Lauro and Hayden Cheremeh were involved in an attempt to uncover the name of a protected witness who had given evidence at the trial of De St Aubin and Ross. The witness had been granted anonymity and had given evidence behind screens with the additional protection of voice modification.
Lauro and Cheremeh conspired together in an attempt to identify this witness in order assist in a subsequent appeal against conviction by Ross and De St Aubin.
Lydia Lauro, 33, a former member of MPS staff, of Earls Court was convicted of Conspiracy to commit Misconduct in Public Office on 29 July 2016. Hayden Cheremeh, 36, a former member of MPS staff, of Clapham was also convicted of Conspiracy to commit Misconduct in Public Office on 29 July 2016.
Both Lauro and Cheremeh resigned from the Met. They were each sentenced to five years’ imprisonment at the Old Bailey on Friday, 10 February.
Detective Superintendent Tom Whorwood, formerly of the MPS Directorate of Professional Standards, said: “This was a well-planned conspiracy to access highly confidential and sensitive information, which would have been of huge benefit to dangerous convicted criminals.
“The public has the right to expect that personal information that police hold will be kept secure, and those who try to compromise this integrity will be vigorously pursued.”
