Former Avon and Somerset Police worker sentenced for misusing police computer system
Laura Dean, 33, admitted eleven counts of computer misuse after searching several individuals, including herself on a police computer system
A former Avon and Somerset Police staff member has been sentenced after admitting of computer misuse offences.
Laura Dean, 33, who was based at Bridgwater Police Centre, previously pleaded guilty to eleven counts of computer misuse at Exeter Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 12 August.
Dean was sentenced at the same court today (16 September) to a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and 140 hours of unpaid work.
The court heard Dean purposefully used a police computer system, to carry out searches on several individuals, including herself.
Avon and Somerset Police say none of the illegal searches Dean made were related to victims of crime she had contact with in a professional capacity.
Dean resigned from her role at Avon and Somerset Police in September 2025.
The force say a separate misconduct process has been running alongside the criminal investigation and will continue following Dean’s conviction.
Chief Inspector Jo Hayward-Melen, of our Professional Standards Department, said: “Laura Dean deliberately accessed sensitive personal data of people without a lawful policing purpose, knowing full well that she should not be doing that.
“While there is no evidence to suggest she used that information, the public will rightly be appalled that any police employee would act in such a way.
“The fact that this has been dealt with by a criminal investigation should reassure the public how seriously we have viewed this matter and it has culminated in Dean being sentenced for her crimes.”