Tom Matthews reports:
A former police sergeant and an ex-Croydon Council officer have been charged with breaching data protection laws after allegations they misused police computer systems to obtain private information.
Paul Potter and Alan O’Brien were due to answer the charges at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, but though the case against them was adjourned until April 13.
Potter, 38, is charged with one count of obtaining or disclosing personal data, in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998, as well as four counts of breaching the Computer Misuse Act 1990.
O’Brien, 49, faces one count of breaching the Data Protection Act.
Read more on Croydon Advertiser, where they provide some additional details but don’t seem to really address how or why the police database was allegedly misused. Did it have to do with evicting antisocial tenants or was there some other alleged reason?
Update: The two pleaded not guilty and will stand trial later this year.