Met officer sacked for accessing Sarah Everard files

A serving Metropolitan Police officer has been dismissed for gross misconduct after accessing files relating to Sarah Everard’s murder without reason.

PC Myles McHugh committed gross misconduct by viewing the confidential files a tribunal has found.

Former Det Con Hannah Rebbeck and Sgt Mark Harper were also found guilty by the tribunal. Ms Rebbeck has since left the force but would have been dismissed had she still been serving, while Sgt Harper was issued with a final written warning.

The offences took place between 5 and 15 March 2021 – soon after the 33-year-old marketing executive was kidnapped and killed by serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens.

PC McHugh repeatedly accessed the police system to search for details including Ms Everard’s medical history, employment, character and lifestyle, the panel heard.

Ms Rebbeck also looked searched for information about Ms Everard that was not connected with her duties multiple times, which the panel heard had “centred on her own morbid curiosity”.

Another serving officer and two other former officers faced the same charge, but the panel found they had a legitimate reason for accessing the information and did not breach the standards of police professional behaviour.