Corrupt police officer Stephen Cloney was dismissed from Merseyside Police for gross misconduct in March 2019.
On 5th February 2020, Cloney was sentenced to 5 years at Manchester Crown for the offence of ‘Corruption‘ under Section 26 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015.
Judge Alan Conrad QC, told him that;
“one corrupt police officer taints a great police force and undermines public confidence in the police“.
Clooney, from the Wirral, spent years trawling Merseyside Police’s computer systems for information to sell on to criminals.
The officer collected police intelligence on firearms, police informants (snitches), and carried out searches on the address of a man who changed address after being tipped off by police that his life was in danger.
Cloney joined Merseyside Police in 2007, he previously served with the Metropolitan Police.
The father of one admitted unlawfully accessing police systems and databases which he provided to others for financial gain between April 2015 and January 2019.
This information included divulging information relating to cannabis farms operating in the region and other police investigations.
After being tipped off by information provided by Clooney, suspects would clear out their properties ahead of police raids, the court heard.
It can be reported that Cloney, of Lorne Road, Oxton was under suspicion in 2017 but only given “management advice“. He was placed on restricted duties and remained on full pay by Merseyside police.
Merseyside police anti-corruption unit continued to investigate Clooney and he was arrested in January 2019.
Clooney was found he had received over £8,000 in deposits to his bank account and was living a “cash-rich” lifestyle.
David Temkin, defending, said Cloney was divorced in 2013 and wanted to leave the police but was under “emotional and financial pressure” when he was “approached” for information.
I’ve a question about what happens when a police officer is found to be corrupt like this to the crimes they covered up? Suppose there is convincing evidence of crimes available outside the police force which the officers suppressed. Is that same evidence now “new evidence”, and the crimes which were reported opened again as new? Does this happen automatically, or is it up to the victims to report them again?