Counter-terrorism officer jailed after approaching News of the World to make money

Detective Chief Inspector April Casburn has been handed a 15 month jail term for contacting News of the World and offering to sell them information for financial gain.

Casburn is the first person to be prosecuted as part of the investigation into payments from journalists to public officials. She was arrested by officers from Operation Elveden, of which continues today alongside Operation Weeting and Tuleta, all set up in the wake of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.

“DCI April Casburn proactively approached the News of the World, the very newspaper being investigated, to make money. She betrayed the service and let down her colleagues – the hard-working honest police officers who make up the vast majority of the MPS.

Fortunately this type of behaviour is rare but we hope today’s verdict shows the public can have confidence that the MPS holds itself to account.”  – Met Police statement

The evidence was supplied to the police by News Corporation’s Management and Standards Committee which is looking into the newspapers’ activities over the years.

[Written by Shaun Linden, source: Met Police]