PC Matthew Olive Admits to Illegally Accessing Police Systems and Sharing Information
A Metropolitan Police officer has pleaded guilty to four counts of misconduct in public office after carrying out unauthorised searches on police systems and sharing confidential information in WhatsApp chats with members of the public.
Police Constable Matthew Olive, 26, who was attached to the Professional Standards Directorate, admitted to the offences at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, 7 March. He had previously appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 24 December.
‘Abuse of Position’ – Senior Officer Condemns Actions
Following the guilty plea, Acting Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Smithson, head of the Professional Standards Directorate, criticised PC Olive’s misuse of police systems.
“PC Olive abused his position, searching confidential police systems to look up information for no other purpose than to satisfy his own interests and those he passed information on to.
“His colleagues, and the public, rightly expect those who are trusted to access sensitive information to do so only for legitimate policing reasons. By misusing his privileged position, he will have done further damage to the trust between the police and the public that we are collectively working so hard to rebuild.”
Journalist Named in Court Indictment
According to the court indictment, the information accessed by PC Olive is understood to have been shared with freelance journalist Rebecca Tidy and a second person named as Ms Faye Louise Osmund-Smith.
It is not yet clear whether further investigations will take place into how the information was used.
Misconduct Hearing to Follow
Following his conviction, PC Olive will now face a misconduct hearing at the earliest opportunity. If found guilty of gross misconduct, he could be dismissed from the force.
The Metropolitan Police has faced increasing scrutiny over internal misconduct cases, and this latest admission is expected to add further pressure on efforts to rebuild public confidence.
