A former police officer has been sentenced to four years in prison for illegally accessing sensitive police information and passing it on to her convicted criminal boyfriend.
Lorna Pennycook, 38, from Walsall, shared confidential details with Anthony Kennedy, 43, from Tipton, over a four-year period between 2017 and 2021. Pennycook, who resigned from West Midlands Police in 2021, admitted to one count of misconduct in a public office in March 2023.
Birmingham Crown Court heard how Pennycook repeatedly accessed police computer systems to search for details about Kennedy and his vehicles, including checking for outstanding warrants 42 times in Sandwell, where he lived. Some of these searches were made at Kennedy’s request. Pennycook also looked into details regarding two lorry thefts Kennedy had been involved in, including checking police logs and systems for warrants and suspects.
Kennedy, who had 18 previous convictions, including for vehicle theft, was sentenced to 32 months in prison for his involvement. The pair met in 2016 via a dating site, and despite initial hesitation from Kennedy after learning Pennycook was a police officer, their relationship continued. Pennycook admitted that she had become infatuated with him, leading to her illegal actions.
In a police interview, Pennycook claimed she was fearful of Kennedy, but mobile phone records showed she contacted him far more frequently than he reached out to her, with one instance of 81 calls made in a single day. She was also found to have instructed Kennedy to delete messages between them to cover up her actions.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) emphasized the breach of public trust, with Malcolm McHaffie stating that Pennycook’s actions put the integrity of the police force at risk. Both she and Kennedy now face the consequences of their misconduct.