A rookie police officer who disclosed confidential information to friends and family about one of Britain’s worst mass shootings and a high-profile murder has avoided a prison sentence.
Pc Sam Hill shared information concerning the Keysham shootings in which five people were shot dead by gunman Jake Davison, 22.
Hill, 33, also told her mother and sister the identity of the man who would later be convicted of the murder of teenager Bobbi-Anne McLeod before it was in the public domain.
Bristol Crown Court heard that Hill would access confidential police logs and shared information with her family, friends and also within a WhatsApp group.
Sarah Regan, prosecuting, said the offences took place between January and November 2021 while Hill was a probationary officer with Devon and Cornwall Police.
Ms Regan said it was the accessing of information relating to the arrest of Cody Ackland for the murder of the 18-year-old that led to an investigation into Hill.
“This information had not been released to the media or to the family of the victim thereby creating serious risk to the integrity of the investigation and the trial process,” she said.
“But it also risked distressing details coming to the attention of the victim’s family without the appropriate support being in place.”
Ms Regan said these included details of the weapons used to attack Ms McLeod and how her body was found.
Hill also had a photograph of Ackland, a musician, on her phone dated several days before he was charged and named publicly for the first time.
Referring to the Keyham shootings in August 2021, Ms Regan said Hill had shared details from confidential police briefings about the funeral arrangements for the victims.
“The defendant was not on duty but she had been in the area of the incident, as had some of her family members,” she said.
“In the following days she accessed confidential information about the investigation and she shared it with her sister and WhatsApp group.
“Despite the fact she was a witness, stating that she had seen the attacker and gun, her messages confirmed that she had read the police response log and shared extremely sensitive information from it.
“She also detailed how the victims and their dogs had been found.”
The court heard Hill shared video clips of interviews she had undertaken with suspects and footage from her body worn camera.
She also disclosed to her family details of the arrest of another family member, and told her mother about an investigation into a GP, and that a paramedic was to be arrested.
“The risks to an investigation by the release of the name of the suspect prior to their arrest is obvious, and includes the potential for evidence to be destroyed,” Ms Regan said.
Hill, of Plymouth, Devon had previously pleaded guilty to 18 counts of misconduct in a public office. She resigned from the force before she was charged.
Jenny Tallentire, defending, said the reason for Hill’s crimes was “very difficult for her to understand and explain”.
“She was incredibly proud to be a police officer. She threw it away by her immature behaviour,” she said.
“It was behaviour with a lack of thought about the potential consequences of her actions, and sometimes by an impulsive desire to share with those she trusted the sort of interesting things that she was coming across.”
Ms Tallentire said Hill was a single mother caring for two young children, including a baby, and an immediate custodial sentence would have a significant impact upon them.
“All of these things have had a profound effect on the defendant’s health, particularly her mental health, such that she’s now under the care of the local perinatal mental health team,” she said.
“The birth of a child is now dedicated mitigating factor in the eyes of Sentencing Council.
“Here there is extremely strong personal mitigation and the likelihood of significant harmful impact upon these two children and maybe that the court feels able to suspend the sentence for Miss Hill.
“I say that fully aware of the need for this court to always consider the need for deterrent sentences in cases such as this.”
Judge Julian Lambert imposed a 20-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
She was also ordered to complete 240 hours of unpaid work.
Assistant Chief Constable Glen Mayhew said: “The officer has clearly fallen very short of the behaviour we expect from our workforce by showing a complete disregard for the rules in place around accessing police records.
“Pc Hill resigned during the course of this investigation but has today been sentenced of a criminal offence and will face the consequences of her actions.”
Following the conclusion of criminal proceedings, disciplinary proceedings will commence for the former officer.
