Crooked cop who used police database to pass on information to friends being investigated is spared jail – because prisons are too ‘overcrowded’
- Met officer PC Mohammed Rahman, 39, search for friends on police database
A policeman who carried out unauthorised searches on his friends while they were under investigation has been spared jail by a judge – because prisons are too ‘overcrowded’.
PC Mohammed Rahman, 39, made a series of searches on the police database over a period of three years from 2018 to 2021.
He looked up the names, address, and dates of births of suspects and victims involved in ongoing investigations he had nothing to do with.
Some of these searches included the names of his friends, family, and he found information on a woman who had reported domestic violence on behalf of the perpetrator.
Rahman, based at Forest Gate police station, admitted seven counts of misconduct in a public office at Westminster Magistrates Court in September this year and he was sent to Southwark crown court for sentence.
PC Mohammed Rahman (pictured arriving at Southwark Crown Court) made a series of unauthorised searches on the police database over a period of three years from 2018 to 2021.
A map shows the ten most overpopulated prisons in the UK, with HMP Leeds in first place, followed by Durham and Wandsworth
The UK’s prison population has also increased substantially since the Covid pandemic in 2020
READ MORE: BRITAIN’S MOST OVERCROWDED PRISONS REVEALED AS NUMBERS OF INMATES SOAR
Prosecutor Steven Perian, KC, said: ‘The most aggravating incident took place on 27 December 2020.
‘This defendant searches a registration number in relation to a green Toyota Prius where on 20 November 2020 there had been an alleged criminal damage investigation.’
Rahman had passed on the names, dates of birth and addresses of three individuals who were linked to that allegation after he had been asked for the information via text message by the driver of that car.
The court heard the father-of-three sent a message to the owner of the car, Mr Miah Mahon, that read ‘write it down on paper then delete please.’
Later that evening at 10:26pm an anonymous call was made to the police reporting an incident of robbery where a firearm was seen, and the suspect was seen driving the same car.
Passing sentence Judge Chris Hehir said: ‘You committed these offences between October 2018 and February 2021 when you were a police constable at the Metropolitan Police based at Forest Gate police station.
‘All the offences involved you unlawfully accessing police computer systems and databases to which you had access.
‘The only incident where there is evidence of you passing on information to a third party is Miah Mahon on 27 December 2020.
‘There is the case of the grossly overcrowded state of our prisons at the moment, on the other hand you have committed very serious offences in gross breach of public trust.
‘In view of the very unusual position of prison overcrowding – and this is a case where there is no evidence of financial motivation – I have decided to just suspend the inevitable prison term in your case.
‘I acknowledge that in doing so I’m being very lenient indeed, but not in the circumstances.’
Rahman, of Maltings Close, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 24 months. He must also complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.
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