Former public officials jailed for selling Sun information
A former policeman and prison officer are imprisoned after selling information to the Sun newspaper about celebrities and James Bulger’s killer, Jon Venables.
Ex-Woodhill prison officer Richard Trunkfield, 31, was imprisoned for 16 months at the Old Bailey for selling information about Venables to the Sun.
Former Surrey police constable Alan Tierney, 40, was jailed for 10 months for selling details of the arrests of footballer John Terry‘s mother and Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood.
He and Tierney had admitted misconduct in public office and were charged as part of the Operation Elveden inquiry into payments by journalists to public officials.
Tierney received £1,250 for information about Sue Terry and Sue Poole, the mother and mother-in-law of the former England football captain, who were arrested on suspicion of shoplifting in Surrey.
This country has long prided itself on the integrity of its public officials and cynical acts of betrayal of that high standard have a profoundly corrosive effect. Mr Justice Fulford
He also sold details about the arrest of Ronnie Wood on suspicion of beating up his Russian lover Ekaterina Ivanova.
Terry, Poole and Wood all accepted cautions over the matters.
‘Disgraceful’
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Fulford said that Tierney’s offences were “a disgraceful way for a police officer to act”.
Tierney was one of the officers sent to deal with Terry and Poole when they were stopped by store detectives at a Tesco in Weybridge.
In mitigation, the court heard that most of the details would have eventually become public, and that their leak had not undermined any investigation.
Bill Emlyn Jones, defending Tierney, said: “He has lost everything already. He has been dismissed from the job that he loved and he has therefore lost his income, his reputation, his family.
“His wife has separated from him and contact with his children has been extremely difficult. His fall from grace is complete already.”
In his defence, the court heard that Trunkfield, who received £3,500, had no direct contact with Venables and passed on minor details such as what he was eating.
Speaking about Tierney and Trunkfield, Mr Justice Fulford said: “This country has long prided itself on the integrity of its public officials and cynical acts of betrayal of that high standard have a profoundly corrosive effect.”