Police apprentice, 22, used force’s database to check if her killer brother was banged up with undercover cop

A POLICE apprentice used the force’s database to check if her brother was banged up with an undercover cop.

Naomi Buckland, 22, was ready to blow a colleague's cover out of “misguided family loyalty”, Durham Crown Court heard.

Durham Crown Court heard Naomi only began working as a civilian apprentice with Durham Police in June 2018 and had access to the force’s computer system.

Days after her brother was arrested on suspicion of murder, she de-activated his Facebook account.

Prosecutor Sam Faulks said on October 22, 2018, she was asked to check if another inmate in the brother's prison was an undercover police officer.

In a phone call to her brother in the jail, which was recorded, Buckland confirmed the inmate was not one of her colleagues.

Mr Faulks made clear it ultimately had no effect on the outcome of her brother's case.

Nathan was cleared of murder but convicted of the manslaughter of Iain Lee in March 2019.

Nathan was jailed for eight years.

Mr Lee, 31, suffered a catastrophic head injury after he was punched to the ground in a bus stop in Stephenson Way, Newton Aycliffe, near The Roundhouse pub, in the early hours of September 8, 2018. 

He died 11 days later.

Mark Styles, mitigating, said Naomi was of previous good character and “not the sort of person you expect to see before the court”, adding: “If there was a case of misguided loyalty to a family member, this was it.

“She was very close to her brother and the dire situation he was in led her to do what she did.

“As a result, she lost her job and good name.”

Mr Styles said Naomi is now planning to re-train as a mental health nurse.

Judge Ray Singh told her: “This is very serious. The potential of what could have happened is immense.”

She was given a 16-month prison sentence suspended for two years and tagged for a four-month curfew.

A force spokesman said her behaviour, “fell well short of the standard we expect and as such will not be tolerated by Durham Constabulary.”