South Yorkshire policewoman admits to £3,500 blackmail plot on suspect
South Yorkshire Police officer who blackmailed a suspect she was investigating before trying to cover her tracks has pleaded guilty in court.
Marie Thompson, who worked as a police constable in Doncaster, admitted blackmail and perverting the course of justice following an investigation by the force's Professional Standards Department (PSD).
In 2023, Thompson had anonymously contacted a suspect under investigation through a nameless email account.
She told the suspect that to keep the allegations against them quiet, they had until midnight to transfer £3,500 into a specific bank account.
The suspect reported this and the investigation was passed to Thompson due to the link to the case she was already investigating.
She then recorded a false entry in her pocket notebook stating the individual did not wish to take any further action in relation to the blackmail.
A few days later, Thompson sent another anonymous email from the same account with the subject 'I'm so sorry', stating the sender had been desperate, had no excuse for the previous email and was going to cease all contact.
A PSD investigation was launched when suspicions were raised about Thompson. She was arrested in October 2023 and immediately suspended from duties.
PSD carried out extensive enquiries which revealed evidence that the emails had been sent from her laptop. It also emerged Thompson was in significant debt through gambling.
At Leeds Crown Court today (Thursday 4 September), Thompson, aged 28, was bailed ahead of sentencing on 30 October. An internal misconduct investigation is underway. Detective Superintendent James Axe, head of PSD, said: "Thompson's actions were wholly inexcusable.
"Her deceitful offending is shameful and her former colleagues here in South Yorkshire Police are as horrified by these crimes as members of the public will be.
"Police officers are rightly held to higher standards than members of the public.
"We are determined to remain open and transparent about the professional standards of our workforce, even when this means telling the public about serious criminality such as this.
"It is only through this openness and transparency that we can maintain legitimacy and build trust and confidence, demonstrating our commitment to investigating wrongdoing and to rooting out those who fail to reflect SYP's true values and standards of behaviour."