A corrupt law official was jailed for six years today, Friday, May 5, for illegally using Crown Prosecution Service computers to slip information to organised crime gangs.
Paralegal Rachel Simpson, 39, made repeated searches on CPS and crown court computers regarding cases she was not working on – to find vital information for the criminals.
The court heard Simpson began her corrupt research after starting a relationship with a man ‘involved in serious organised crime.’
Prosecutor David Temkin KC said some of the confidential information she obtained was passed on to criminals via a third party.
But the mother-of-one was caught when investigators hacked an encrypted chat between high-level drug dealers and found a picture of a top secret CPS document.
Paralegal Rachel Simpson (pictured), 39, made repeated searches on CPS and crown court computers regarding cases she was not working on – to find vital information for the criminals
Mr Temkin said a second case where information found its way to criminals involved documents relating to convicted drug dealer Jerome Nunes (pictured) after he was jailed
The form contained details of police tactics and led criminals to change up their tactics in a bid to ‘avoid detection.’
Police then searched the ‘very limited number of people’ who would have had access to the document and were led to Simpson.
Mr Temkin, said: ‘The defendant abused her position to research and obtain sensitive information about prominent criminals and organised crime investigations in South Wales.
‘She did so by unauthorised access to the Crown Prosecution Service computer system and the Crown Court digital system.’
Mr Temkin said although it could not be proved that many of the searches were passed on to criminals but twice ‘did disseminate sensitive information to third parties.’
He added: ‘In turn that same sensitive information found its way into the criminal fraternity.’
‘Many of the cases accessed by the defendant were handled by the Crown Prosecution Service complex case unit, which deals with the most serious, sensitive or complex cases, the defendant has never worked in that unit and should have been inaccessible to her.’
He said the offending came to light after intelligence officers broke into an encrypted EncroChat messaging system used by criminals.
Mr Temkin said: ‘As part of an EncroChat conversation the National Crime Agency discovered photographs of a sensitive and privileged police document.
‘That had been sent from one criminal to another, both of those criminals were involved in multi-kilo trafficking of Class A drugs.
‘Investigations by South Wales Police identified the case to which that document referred and the very limited number of individuals who had had access to that document and led her to this defendant.
‘The defendant provided material to third parties rather than directly to the criminal fraternity.’
Mr Temkin said a second case where information found its way to criminals involved documents relating to convicted drug dealer Jerome Nunes after he was jailed.
Documents secured by Simpson were passed to Nunes’ solicitors who mounted a failed appeal on the basis that the prosecution was flawed.
Simpson later told police she had notified bosses that she knew Nunes and other criminals including one called Thomas Reynolds who she described as a ‘sex pest’ who she had ‘flirted like mad with’ and exchanged Facebook messages.
Mr Temkin said: ‘As part of an EncroChat conversation the National Crime Agency discovered photographs of a sensitive and privileged police document’ (pictured: Mark Dobbin, who drove from Kirkby to South Wales with four kilos of Class A drugs hidden behind a seat in the van he and Taylor had hired)
Mr Temkin continued: ‘That had been sent from one criminal to another, both of those criminals were involved in multi-kilo trafficking of Class A drugs’ (pictured: Paul Taylor, who drove from from Kirkby to South Wales with four kilos of Class A drugs hidden behind a seat in the van he and Dobbin had hired)
Mr Temkin said: ‘Investigations by South Wales Police identified the case to which that document referred and the very limited number of individuals who had had access to that document and led her to this defendant’
Cardiff Crown Court heard Simpson held a series of roles within the CPS since starting work there in 2003 including as a paralegal and victim liaison manager.
She had been issued with her own laptop by bosses and following her arrest police were able to track all of her illegal search history.
They found she would make searches late at night, on Bank Holidays or when she was off work on sick leave.
Simpson admitted unauthorised access to highly-sensitive CPS files 29 times – and two charges of misconduct in public office.
Simpson arrested by officers from the South Wales Police Anti-Corruption Unit along with four other suspects but was the only one charged.
Simpson, of Newport, Gwent, was charged with two counts of misconduct in a public office and 29 counts of unauthorised access of a computer system between 2016 and 2020 and she pleaded guilty to all these offences.
Andrew Heatherall, defending, said single mum Simpson began when starting an ‘adult relationship’ with a criminal and was ‘vulnerable’ to his requests for information.
He said: ‘That was a relationship of relatively short duration but in her desire to continue it left her with a particular lever.’
He said she suffered from depression and probable autism.
Judge, Mrs Justice Jefford DBE, told her: ‘You were employed by the Crown Prosecution Service and you were well aware what you were doing was illegal.
‘It was a repeated and gross breach of the trust your employer had in you.
‘The public, the courts, and all those engaged in the criminal justice system are entitled to expect the highest levels of integrity from the CPS, they are entitled to expect the highest levels of integrity from those who work for the CPS and they were entitled to expect that from you.
‘What you did fundamentality undermines public confidence in that integrity and in the ability of the CPS to properly prosecute defendants.’
Mrs Jefford said that although her actions were ‘inexplicable’ and not for financial gain she began the crimes following a love affair.
She said: ‘You said you had a relationship with a man for a few months. About a year later and out of the blue he asked you to look up someone at work for him. You did and you kept doing this when he asked you to.
‘You wanted his attention and you would do anything that he asked. You have not identified him.’
Simpson was jailed for six years.
Andrew Penhale, Chief Crown Prosecutor, said: ‘As a CPS employee, Rachel Simpson was in a position of trust and was only expected to access sensitive and confidential information when necessary for her job.
‘She regularly accessed material when there was no business need and, on two occasions, the sensitive material she obtained was passed on to organised criminals.
‘The CPS expects all staff to act with integrity in handling data held in its systems and Simpson fell well below these standards. We will not hesitate to prosecute individuals who engage in unlawful conduct. We also constantly review our digital systems to ensure they are as secure as possible.’
A CPS spokesman added: ‘The CPS is committed to maintaining the public’s confidence in our ability to effectively manage data entrusted to us.
‘Action is already underway to ensure that we effectively learn from the issues identified in this case and appropriate changes are made to prevent recurrence.’
DailyMail
