Road safety workers jailed for misconduct after speed tickets deliberately deleted

Samantha Halden-Evans was also locked up for also deleting camera evidence as a favour to friends caught speeding, in her role at Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership between 2017 and 2021.

At the request of acquaintances and relatives, she checked for images of the vehicles and wiped them from the computer system at Staffordshire Police headquarters.

Stafford Crown Court heard that her actions would often result in the clearing of offences of many other errant motorists, to cover her tracks.

Mr Sean Sullivan, prosecuting, said the offences came to light two years ago when it was discovered that she passed on confidential information to her partner Wayne Riley, a businessman, about number plates relating to a "highly sensitive" murder investigation and about a burglary at the home of a man called James Ashbrook.

Mr Sullivan said: "She was in a trusted position as an operative and that depended on integrity and honesty. She disclosed confidential material to a third party.

"It was prolonged and persistent offending. A number of individuals known and unknown to the defendant avoided prosecution. It was purposeful behaviour by her to disguise and cause multiple drivers not to be prosecuted.

"It was clear from the communication that she became known among her family and friends and in the local community as someone welcoming to gain from favours. She did favours in return for pills."

Martin Liddiard mitigating for Halden-Evans, from Cheadle in Staffordshire, said: "This matter weighs very heavily on her. She is a new mother and among the things she finds difficult to accept, even though it's at her door and it's her fault, is that she is going away at her son's first Christmas.

"The toll on her in terms of finding herself imprisoned is a very high one and I hope the court will recognise that in mitigation."

Mr Liddiard said Halden-Evans had a difficult upbringing, mental health issues and in the last decade suffered three miscarriages and a number of bereavements, including her mother in 2014. He said she started working at the roads partnership as an agency recruit in 2016.

Halden-Evans, aged 36, was jailed for four years and two months for misconduct in public office, conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Riley, aged 41, also from Cheadle, was jailed for two years and eight months for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Johnathan Hill, aged 47, of Newcastle-Under- Lyme and a former speed camera technician, three times asked Halden-Evans for assistance about ticket offences to give speeding "friends peace of mind". Hill was jailed for conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

Halden-Evans' friend Nikki Baker, 35, of Werrington, was jailed for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice relating to a request to delete her speeding ticket, due to having points on her driving licence and to avoid a road ban.

All four previously admitted the offences. They must serve half their prison terms before release on licence and must pay the victims surcharge.

Sentencing them, Miss Recorder Michelle Brown said their actions had a "serious impact on the administration of public justice".

Staffordshire Deputy Chief Constable Jon Roy said after the sentencing: “The vast majority of our officers and staff conduct themselves professionally and work tirelessly to protect the public.

“We expect the highest levels of honesty and integrity from all of our officers and staff and anyone who falls below these standards will be held to account."

Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime, Ben Adams, is co-chair of the Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership.

He said: “It is absolutely vital that the public can have confidence in everyone engaged in police activity, and in the activity of the Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership.

“Keeping our roads safe for the communities of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent is too important to be undermined by the actions of a few individuals.

“Whether those individuals are officers or staff makes no difference. Everyone within the organisation should be held to the very highest standards, and I welcome today’s outcome.”