Police worker accessed sensitive data on force computers to pass to drug dealer boyfriend

Wales Online

2 days ago

Police worker accessed sensitive data on force computers to pass to drug dealer boyfriend
Lucy Langmead, 44, was employeed as an administrator by South Wales Police when she accessed the police national computer and passed on confidential information to her boyfriend Daniel Cozens, 37
Ex-police officer Lucy Langmead outside Cardiff Crown Court
(Image: John Myers )
A former police employee accessed unauthorised information on police computers to help her drug dealer boyfriend. She was told by a judge she had "done serious harm to policing and the public interest."
Lucy Langmead, 44, was employed as a police administrator by South Wales Police when she began a relationship with Daniel Cozens, 37, a drug dealer with contacts in the drug world.
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She helped her boyfriend by accessing sensitive data on the police national computer, which she passed on to him and he then passed on to his associates.
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A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday, June 3, heard Langmead also accessed information to feed her own "morbid" curiosity, including information on the murder of five-year-old Logan Mwangi in the early stages of the investigation. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter.
The defendant, a mother-of-three, had been employed at Pontypridd police station since 2005 and began a relationship with convicted drug dealer Cozens in 2021. He was a user of cocaine and cannabis, to which he was addicted.
Daniel Cozens outside Cardiff Crown Court
(Image: John Myers )
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In her opening to the court, prosecutor Carina Hughes said: "Lucy Langmead was fully aware that searching for, and accessing data was in contravention of the legal notice if it was not for police purposes, she was personally associated to it, and it was outside her working duties.
"That the data is sensitive and any sharing of it would be illegal. Such non-compliance, she knew, could result in criminal proceedings."
The first unlawful accessing of information happened on May 10, 2020, when Langmead conducted searches about her sister-in-law Angharad Cox, after she had been arrested for failing a breathalyser.
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On November 2, 2020, Langmead accessed information about an investigation in which a man named Gavin Mountjoy was the complainant. She then spoke to her friend and Mr Mountjoy's brother Darren about the case over WhatsApp.
On February 15, 2021, a search was made by Langmead regarding her then partner Gareth Godfrey and she sent him a photograph of a summons she had been working on.
The defendant began making searches on the police national computer on her new boyfriend Cozens, and did so on four occasions between April and May, 2021. She accessed a number of records, reports and custody photographs relating to Cozens.
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On May 18, she accessed information about an individual named Katie Power, which she passed on to a friend named Emily. She did this as Ms Power was a tenant at Emily's mother's property.
Lucy Langmead, 44, used her position as a police administrator to access unathorised information which she passed on to her boyfriend and drug dealer Daniel Cozens
(Image: South Wales Police )
Further searches relating to Cozens were carried out in May and October, 2021, and she carried out searches on various individuals at her boyfriend's request. These included Jeremiah Butler, Cozens' father Andrew Cozens, Damian Beach, and Dean Colin Richards, known as "Scouser", who was a drug associate of Cozens.
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There were later conversations between Cozens and Richards in which he provided information given to him by Langmead. He added: "Wipe em all fella ..!! She playing f*** with me..!! Said I was only to show you not send it as it could be picked up on the network..!! Cheers fella..!! C u in morning z."
Richards replied: "They already all gone brother I made sure off that tell here thank you. See you In morning buddy x." To this, Cozens said: "Sweet, yeah no worries fella..!! She said no worries See you in morning fella x."
Langmead also accessed information about Corey McDonald, aka Paterson, who was a friend and drug associate of Cozens, with both defendants having a friendship with McDonald and his girlfriend Sadie Thomas. Prosecutor Ms Hughes made reference to Langmead being "gifted puppies" by Ms Thomas.
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Having accessed warrants and custody photographs of McDonald, Langmead sent some of this information to Cozens, and in a voice message she was heard to say: "Remember to delete everything". Cozens then sent screenshots of custody photos to McDonald.
In a later WhatsApp conversation, Cozens messaged McDonald, saying: "Delete all these bro..!! Mrs Paranoid and stressing that they on your phone..!! Lol..!! Nice 1 x". McDonald responded: "They been deleted already bro been all through my phone, I'm not selling no sniff now I've gave it all back x'
Langmead went on to illegally access information about murdered five-year-old Logan Mwangi on August 6, 2021, in the early stages of the investigation, for which she had no legitimate policing purpose.
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On August 16, 2021, she messaged her mother saying "look who's landed in my warrants pile this morning' and sent an image of a laptop screen containing information about a woman named Kim Fussell.
Drug dealer Daniel Cozens, 37, was provided with confidential information by his girlfriend Lucy Langmead, which he passed on to drug associates.
(Image: South Wales Police )
On October 14, 2021, Langmead was speaking to Cozens' mother Jayne Cozens, and she was asked for information about a man named Jason Darby. Langmead accessed police records and provided Mrs Cozens with information and personal data.
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The defendant also looked at information regarding her ex-husband's new partner Louise Nicholls in October, 2021, and February, 2022. She discussed information with her brother and sent personal data to her friend Emily, saying "I checked her riiight(sic) out."
Her final offence took place on March 1, 2022, when she took a photo of a parked car opposite her home and made searches on the police national computer relating to "Tesla" and vehicle registration plates.
Matters came to light in November, 2021, when a PCSO on foot patrol in Pontypridd was approached by Sadie Thomas, the girlfriend of Corey McDonald, who said: "I have a friend who works in the courts and she told me he was being watched.'
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A police officer on patrol in Pontypridd was also approached by McDonald and Ms Thomas who questioned the number of police patrols in the area and referred to a woman who had "given them information" McDonald was being watched by police having been suspected of drug dealing.
The matter was reported to the South Wales Police Professional Standards Department and an investigation was launched using auditing software.
The investigation revealed Langmead had accessed information about McDonald in October and November, 2021.
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Langmead was arrested, interviewed and her devices were seized and examined. Cozens was also arrested and his devices were also seized and examined. She later resigned from her position in May, 2022.
When Cozens' property was searched by police, a total of 2.1g of cannabis was discovered, with a value between £20 and £25.
There were also empty boxes and blister packs which contained pregabalin tablets.
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An examination of Cozens' mobile phone resulted in the discovery of messages which revealed he was involved in the supply of benzodiazepines between October, 2020, and July, 2022, and the supply of pregabalins between March, 2021, and June, 2022, in exchange for cannabis.
During her police interview, Langmead initially claimed Cozens had accessed her laptop and shared information without her knowledge. She accepted sharing information about Cozens, his father and McDonald, but did so as she was "paranoid and fearful" of Cozens and his associates.
When interviewed, Cozens denied accessing material himself and denied "requesting, coercing, forcing or tricking" Langmead into accessing and sending him information.
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Langmead, of Conway Crescent, Tonteg, later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, 13 counts of securing unauthorised access to computer material and five counts of unlawful disclosure of personal data. The court heard she was of previous good character.
Cozens, of Broadway, Treforest, Pontypridd, later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, two counts of being concerned in the supply of class C drugs, and possession of class B drugs. The court heard he had nine previous convictions for offences including dishonesty, driving matters and possession with intent to supply cannabis.
In mitigation for Langmead, Hashim Salmman said his client was the single mother of three children, the youngest of which had severe anxiety and was home schooled. The barrister said the defendant was seven-weeks pregnant, and the pregnancy was deemed high-risk.
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Heath Edwards, for Cozens, said his client benefited by "very little" from his offending behaviour, other than enhancing his status with those above him in the drug trade. He said the defendant had been engaging with mental health services and was tackling his drug addiction.
In her sentencing remarks, the Recorder of Cardiff, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, said Langmead "knew from the outset what you were doing was illegal".
The judge added: "This was a gross breach of trust by you Ms Langmead... There was no financial benefit but there was some kind of benefit to the two of you. You Ms Langmead had at least one gift, and you would have both been in good standing with offenders you were assisting. A number of offenders believed they would be assisted by you in their criminal activities and avoid detection...
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"Ms Langmead, you knew full well what you were doing, from idle curiosity and partly to elevate your status. You were showing off to other people, including other offenders, that you had access to confidential information... You have done serious harm to policing and the public interest."
Langmead was sentenced to a total of two years and 11 months imprisonment.
Cozens was sentenced to a total of one year and eight months imprisonment.
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Following the hearing, chief superintendent Bella Rees, head of professional standards at South Wales Police, said: 'Police officers and staff have access to personal and private information and it is both a public expectation and a legal requirement that information should be treated in the strictest confidence, properly protected and used for legitimate policing purposes only.
"Accessing confidential police information without a legitimate policing purpose is an abuse of position and, as this case demonstrates, will be treated robustly.'
John Griffiths of the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'Lucy Langmead had the complete trust of her employer in having access to sensitive information and she betrayed that trust. Her actions could have placed criminal investigations at risk.
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'Daniel Cozens used his relationship with Langmead to try to gain an advantage over the police in his criminal behaviour. However, the audit trail from the police computer systems led investigators to them, and together with other evidence allowed the Crown Prosecution Service to present a strong case to the Court and ensure these defendants were brought to justice.'