Former Met officer pleads guilty to misconduct in public office

A former Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer who repeatedly made unlawful searches of personal information on policing systems has pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office (MIPO), following an investigation directed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Former Detective Constable Ishmael Donegan, 26, pleaded guilty to four counts of MIPO at a hearing at the Southwark Crown Court this week. He will be sentenced on 10 May 2024.

We began a directed investigation following a conduct referral from the Met Police in November 2021, relating to allegations DC Donegan was accessing information on police computer systems without a policing purpose.

The investigation was carried out by the Met’s Anti-Abuse and Corruption Command under our direction.

It found that between December 2019 and March 2022, DC Donegan made repeated unlawful searches and provided confidential information about police information to associates. He also shared records via Snapchat.

Some of the individuals searched were known to DC Donegan and in one case, he made more than 80 searches on a woman he’d been in contact with.

Following the conclusion of the investigation in January 2023, a file of evidence was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charges against the former officer.

IOPC director Steve Noonan said: “DC Donegan was clearly not fit to be a police officer and his deliberate actions showed a lack of any regard for the rules in place around accessing police records.

“All police officers are in a position of trust where they have access to confidential and sensitive information on police systems. They receive training and are aware that any searches of police records must be for legitimate purposes and the information should never be passed on to a third party.

“This former officer has paid the price for his actions and he has now been convicted of a criminal offence.”

Following the conclusion of criminal proceedings, we will now liaise with the force around disciplinary proceedings for the former officer.

UPDATE - Ishmael Donegan was sentenced in May 2024 to 35 weeks' imprisonment, half of which will be served in custody and the remaining half on licence.