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Ex-PC Darren Jennings guilty of trying to sell story | Ex-PC Darren Jennings guilty of trying to sell story |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A former police constable has been found guilty of offering to sell a story to The Sun for £10,000 about a "womanising and bullying" colleague. | A former police constable has been found guilty of offering to sell a story to The Sun for £10,000 about a "womanising and bullying" colleague. |
Darren Jennings, who worked for Wiltshire Police and now lives in Saffron Walden, Essex, had denied misconduct in a public office. | Darren Jennings, who worked for Wiltshire Police and now lives in Saffron Walden, Essex, had denied misconduct in a public office. |
The story came to light after emails in the newspaper's database were trawled in the phone hacking scandal. | The story came to light after emails in the newspaper's database were trawled in the phone hacking scandal. |
Jennings was found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey. | Jennings was found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey. |
'Threesome' | |
The court heard that the twice-married father of two contacted The Sun about his colleague Sgt Mark Andrews, who had recently been arrested for an assault in custody. | |
Using the pseudonym Robert Stone, Jennings sent an email to a journalist saying the married sergeant had affairs with colleagues, including a PCSO, a special constable and an ex-PCSO. | |
He alleged Sgt Andrews took part in a threesome with another male officer and a female police officer and regularly went to a strip bar in Salisbury, prosecutor Oliver Glasgow said. | |
The defendant also alleged that the sergeant used excessive force towards members of the public at Salisbury police station and on one occasion slammed a woman's head against a concrete floor, jurors were told. | |
Sgt Andrews was convicted at Oxford Magistrates' Court of assault occasioning actual bodily harm but that was later quashed on appeal. | |
'Compelling evidence' | |
Asking for £10,000 for the information, Jennings told the journalist: "I'm taking a massive risk in giving this information and have an enormous amount to lose by doing so if I am found out." | |
In cross-examination, Jennings was asked if the evidence against him "makes it look like you are guilty?" | |
Jennings replied: "The evidence against me does seem compelling evidence. | |
"Even though it is compelling, I will still stand here today, tomorrow, and next year and deny the allegations put before me, because I'm innocent." |
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