Former police officer sentenced for leaking murder inquiry details

A former Devon and Cornwall police officer has today been given a 20-month prison sentence suspended for two years for leaking sensitive information on multiple cases to her friends and family.

Samantha Hill, 33, from Plymouth pleaded guilty to 18 offences of misconduct in public office at Bristol Crown Court on 17 January 2025. She was also ordered to carry out 240 hours of unpaid work.

In November 2021, an investigation began following a high-profile murder inquiry in Plymouth.  Police became aware of information concerning the murder investigation circulating on social media that was not in the public domain. They identified Hill, then a serving police officer, as the source of the material that was being shared. Following an investigation by the Devon and Cornwall Counter Corruption Unit, Hill was arrested and her phone seized.

The investigation into her phone revealed evidence of Hill accessing sensitive material she did not need to see on several occasions. This included highly sensitive briefings, images and recordings. She shared these images and recordings with her friends and family. The information Hill was sharing contained extremely sensitive personal information about a wide range of cases including shootings, suicides and a murder investigation.

Stella Waata from the Crown Prosecution Service said:

“As a police officer, Samantha Hill was in a position of trust which she gravely abused. She routinely accessed sensitive material for no policing purpose and shared it with people outside the force.

"She showed a blatant disregard for the handling of sensitive information, falling significantly short of the standards expected of a police officer. Her criminal acts risked undermining public confidence in the police and the wider criminal justice system.

“Through close collaboration between the CPS and Devon and Cornwall Police, Hill was left with no option but to plead guilty and face the consequences of her actions.

“The CPS is committed to diligently prosecuting such abuses to ensure the public has full confidence in those charged with protecting them.”