A Durham Constabulary call handler has been jailed for 22 months after admitting to abusing his position to shield a gang of drug dealers from police detection.
Cameron Clifford, 28, of Strangford Avenue, Chester-le-Street, pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office and possession of cocaine at Teesside Crown Court. The court heard that Clifford, who had no previous convictions, exploited his access to sensitive police computer systems between 2021 and 2022 to feed confidential information to a local drug ring in exchange for cocaine.
Clifford’s criminal conduct was brought to an end by an undercover internal operation. In 2022, officers planted false information regarding a vehicle linked to the dealers. When Clifford accessed police systems to verify the tip and subsequently attempted to contact the dealers to pass on the information, he exposed his own illicit activities. He was promptly arrested and suspended from his role within the force.
Judge Nathan Adams, presiding over the case, condemned Clifford for his betrayal of the public trust. While the defence noted that much of the information passed in 2021 was fabricated by Clifford to appease the dealers to whom he owed money, the judge maintained that his actions constituted a severe breach of his professional duties. Although there was no evidence that a live police investigation was compromised, the court emphasized the seriousness of an employee using a public position to assist criminal enterprises.
Three members of the drug gang involved in the case were also sentenced alongside the former call handler. Kieren Smith, 25, and Brandon Wales, 25, both of Consett, were each handed 40-month prison sentences. James Chappell, 28, also of Consett, received a stiffer penalty of 48 months behind bars. All three defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Adams dismissed the notion that the defendants were coerced into the operation, noting that they were motivated by financial gain. “None of you were forced to act in this way,” the judge stated. “You were in this for financial gain. Dealing on this scale has a significant impact on the community.”
Despite the defendants’ claims of remorse and their efforts to move forward, Judge Adams underscored that the supply chain was a sophisticated operation rather than a “stupid one-off action.” He concluded that given the scale of the criminality and the duration of the offending, only immediate custodial sentences were appropriate.
Clifford, who appeared alongside the gang members, had his career in law enforcement permanently dismantled by his actions. He remains in custody following his 22-month sentence.
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