Memory stick led to stolen computer

A memory stick dropped in a supermarket carpark led to the discovery of a computer, stolen from Nottinghamshire Police, in the home of one its intelligence analysts.

Keith Robson, 59, of Greaves Lane, Edingley, admitted stealing the computer and knowingly or recklessly disclosing personal data when he appeared before Nottingham magistrates on Monday.

Sentencing was adjourned until June 2 for probation reports.

The magistrates said they regarded the case as a serious breach of trust because of Robson’s role with Nottinghamshire Police and said all sentencing options would be considered, including prison.

Prosecutor Miss Hannah Strawson said the man who found the USB memory stick inserted it into his computer and saw it contained details about pay-slips and information about Nottinghamshire Police.

He handed it into the police who established that a large number of the pay-slips related to Robson.

Officers visited his home where they seized a computer.

It was identified as a former police computer that had been replaced, along with a large number of others.

The computers were scrapped after the hard drives had been removed.

Miss Robson said before it was replaced the stolen computer had been mainly used by Robson.

Initially claimed it had been bought at a car boot sale

She said the equipment had not gone through the official cleansing process.

Robson had done his own so it was not known what was on it before that.

She said Robson accepted he had stored data insecurely on the memory stick and allowed it to be lost.

He had initially denied stealing the computer and said it had been bought at a car boot sale and he had not known it belonged to the police.

Miss Leanne Summers, defending, said Robson was a hard-working man who had been an intelligence analyst with Nottinghamshire Police for 14 years.

She said there had been no sensitive information on the hard drive of the computer.

Miss Summers said as well as the punishment from the court Robson was likely to lose his job and his good character.

She said the offending was out of character. He was highly thought of by work colleagues.

“It was a one-off, foolish incident, one very much unlikely to be repeated,” she said.