Former Devon and Cornwall Police officer accused of leaking murder inquiry details

She is accused of disclosing confidential information 'concerning a high profile police incident involving the murder of several people'

A former police officer has appeared in court accused of 20 counts of misconduct in a public office by disclosing to others confidential material.

Sam Hill, aged 33 and from Herbert Street, Plymouth was summoned to Plymouth Magistrates' Court on Wednesday October 16 where she faced the charges which all relate to her role as a police officer. Devon and Cornwall Police have confirmed in a statement that Hill was a former officer with the force.

The 20 counts - all of which relate to misconduct in a public office - fall under common law. Hill is alleged to have "wilfully neglected" to perform her duty and "wilfully misconducted herself" in her role as an officer.

Prosecutor Dominic Tucker noted that the charges against Hill relate to incidents which occurred between January 2021 and November 2021.

One charge against Hill was that while an officer she "wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office holder by disclosing without authority on six occasions confidential information concerning police investigations."

Another stated that she abused the public's trust by "disclosing without authority on three occasions confidential information concerning a high profile police incident involving the murder of several people."

She is also accused of "disclosing without authority confidential police body worn video and made a racially offensive remark about the female shown within the footage".

The other charges she faces include that she:

* disclosed "without authority on seven occasions images of Chief Officer Group Briefings containing confidential police information"

* disclosed "without authority confidential information regarding a suspect in an active police investigation"

* disclosed "without authority confidential and highly sensitive information from a police investigation into intra-familial sexual offences

* disclosed "without authority a partial recording of a confidential police suspect interview"

* disclosed "without authority on fifteen occasions confidential police body worn video"

* disclosed "without authority on five occasions images of confidential police documents or systems"

* disclosed "without authority on two occasions confidential police information concerning the suicide of a male"

* disclosed "without authority on seventeen occasions confidential information concerning arrests and those held in police custody"

* disclosed "without authority an image taken of a confidential police custody system showing arrested persons"

* disclosed "without authority on four occasions confidential information obtained from police briefing systems"

* disclosed "without authority confidential information concerning a high profile police murder investigation"

* disclosed "without authority on twenty-one occasions confidential information concerning police incidents that had taken place"

* disclosed "without authority photos of injuries sustained by two victims of a serious assault"

* disclosed "without authority a confidential police safeguarding document containing sensitive personal information"

* disclosed "without authority confidential police information concerning the arrest of a family member for a sexual offence"

* disclosed "without authority on three occasions images of briefing systems containing confidential police information"

* disclosed "without authority confidential information concerning the arrest of a person linked to a sensitive multi-agency investigation"

No pleas were offered by Hill who was granted bail by District Judge Lisa Boyce and will next appear at Bristol Crown Court on November 27.

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