A GLAMOROUS policewoman has lost her job after she was caught passing on confidential information about tragic mum Nicola Bulley.
WPC Molly Bury, 28, illegally accessed the Police National Computer to get intimate updates about 45-year Nicola – who sparked a major police hunt when she went missing – so she could pass on “tittle tattle” to friends and family.
When one pal kept pestering Bury for updates, the Lancashire Police officer said: ”I will get in s*** if they see me checking.”
When pressed again she added: “I have not checked. I cannot keep checking. I will get into trouble.”
The officer was arrested after a shocked member of the public overheard her mother Andrea Mercer telling how “Molly” had shared information with her about a rape after she “checked her police thing”.
Investigations revealed Bury had been accessing the police logs over a three year period between October 2019 and March 2023 to share ‘idle gossip’ for ”no policing purpose.”
She also obtained info on the death of a baby, a hit run and crash and a stabbing and in one day alone she accessed a log about a domestic violence incident and grabbed information about a pre-planned arrest of a robbery suspect.
When quizzed she admitted she had been ”stupid and nosey” but insisted she was not malicious.”
Most of the information was accessed when she was on annual leave or on the sick.
Nicola was found dead in the River Wyre at St Michaels on Wyre in February 2023 following a three week manhunt for her which sparked wild speculation online.
A coroner later concluded she had drowned after accidentally falling into the water whilst walking her dog.
At Chester magistrates court, mother of one Bury, from Accrington, Lancs, pleaded guilty to 32 offences of unauthorised access to police logs.
She faced up to two years jail under sentencing guidelines but was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for 12 months after a judge ruled she was ”profoundly immature” and ”not corrupt.”
Earlier Miss Gayle McCoubrey, prosecuting, said the unnamed member of the public contacted police in March 2023, after overhearing Bury’s mother sharing information about a rape.
The prosecutor said: “She was heard to say: “I asked Molly. She checked her police thing and she said it was a rape.”
She said Molly had told her about a victim a few weeks prior and she said it was a murder.
Police systems identified that WPC Molly Bury had viewed both logs on a police issued Samsung device whilst off duty.
Police raided Bury’s home and recovered a mobile phone which showed she had sent confidential information about various police incidents.
In October 2019 she sent details of a stabbing incident which she had attended to a friend called Elliot, saying: “The lad from stabbing survived.”
She later sent him further messages saying: “A hit and run just came in. Woman probably going to die. Car drove onto the pavement into this lad and girl.”
In a further message regarding a dead baby found in December 2019, Bury said: “Oh my God, it is a one year old child.”
When on a rest day she sent further texts saying to Elliott: “Undercover police are outside your address.” To which he replied: “F** the feds.”
The court heard Bury also shared information with a woman called Amy Sanderson about a local man wanted for a stabbing, another in jail for drugs offences and about a woman who jumped off a building.
Miss McCoubrey said: “On January 28, 2023, the defendant was showing as off sick yet she carried out a search for Nicola Bulley and messages were sent regards that. She sent a number of text messages with regard to that missing person.
“On January 29, she was sick but has again accessed the police system and viewed deployed patrols. At 10.59 Miss Sanderson asked: ‘Any update on Nicky?’ She replied, ‘I will get in shit if they see me checking.’
“At 11.01, she accessed the Samsung device and searched again and a further message was sent regarding Nicola Bulley.
“At 6.33 Miss Sanderson sent a message ‘Any update?’ and Miss Bury replied: ‘I have not checked. I cannot keep checking. I will get into trouble.’”
“In terms of culpability, this conduct takes place over a number of years, there are 32 occasions, so obviously the volume of the charges is an aggravating feature.She was spreading gossip or sensitive information.”
Bury, who was based at Blackburn police station, was also ordered to complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity and pay £154 in costs and surcharge.
Sentencing, Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram, said: “These are not corrupt messages. There is no money involved. There is no suggestion this is a criminal fraternity.
“She clearly knew what she was doing was wrong. but the harm is damage to the reputation of police and confidence in policing. It was immature gossiping throughout. She was doing work without any insight into the job.
“It was tittle tattle nonsense much of it.”
He told Bury: “You made admissions and you were remorseful in the interview. I think it was real remorse. You described your actions as stupid and that you had been nosey. You did not think you were malicious and I accept that.
“But you conceded that it crossed boundaries and these undignified and unlawful disclosures demonstrated profound immaturity on your part.
“There was a complete lack of insight into the need for confidentiality in policing. You seem to find humour and positive pleasure in sharing information.
“On occasions it is clearly more than curiosity and it is clear that it gives the impression of idle gossip.”
The judge added: ”You are a police officer 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“Just like I am a district judge 24 hours a day, seven days a week – it does matter where I am or what I am doing – I am accountable. I find your behaviour disappointing.”
The Director-General
