Two former police call handlers have been sentenced to prison after accessing confidential police records and sharing them with their criminal partners. Jessica Fitzhugh, 22, received a four-month prison term, while Ellie-Mae Doherty, 22, was jailed for 11 months following a hearing at Leicester Crown Court on Thursday.
Fitzhugh admitted unauthorised access to police computer systems, while Doherty pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office after passing information to her partner. Both women were employed by Derbyshire Constabulary before their dismissals and subsequent prosecutions.
The incidents occurred in 2023. Fitzhugh, who began working for the force in January 2023, accessed personal details about her boyfriend’s associates. Doherty, who joined in September 2023, accessed and shared information about a planned drugs raid on her partner’s associates’ homes. Investigators later found a message on her partner’s phone referencing the leak.
Both women were charged after an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which submitted evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on 23 March. Derbyshire Police confirmed both had left the organisation and that misconduct hearings would follow.
During sentencing, Judge Timothy Spencer KC described the women as “naive” and noted that Doherty’s actions went beyond mere access, as she actively shared the information. The judge stated that both had “flaunted” training and guidelines provided by the force.
Derbyshire Police’s Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Michelle Shooter said the women had “breached the trust and faced the consequences of their actions.” The force did not provide additional details about the misconduct hearings or potential further disciplinary measures.