In a shocking case of corruption within law enforcement, a police employee has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison. Natalie Mottram, a 25-year-old intelligence analyst seconded to the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), has been found guilty of illegally accessing sensitive information and leaking classified details of a secret international investigation into serious and organized crime. Her actions were exposed during Operation Venetic, initiated by the National Crime Agency (NCA) following the takedown of the encrypted communications platform EncroChat.
Mottram’s unlawful disclosures unveiled confidential information about the covert operation to her associate Jonathan Kay, 39. She informed Kay that law enforcement agencies had intelligence on him and revealed details about Operation Venetic. The breach of secrecy was confirmed when an EncroChat user received a message alerting them to the law enforcement infiltration. This message explicitly referred to a police employee with access to EncroChat software and cautioned against its use. Suspecting Mottram’s involvement, the NCA placed her under surveillance.
On June 12, 2020, Mottram was instructed by her superiors to analyze an intelligence log related to Jonathan Kay, who happened to be the partner of her close friend, Leah Bennett. However, instead of following protocol, Mottram left her workplace that afternoon and went directly to the home of Kay and Bennett. There, she divulged details from the intelligence log. Subsequent telecommunications data analysis revealed contact between Bennett’s phone and the phone mentioned in the EncroChat message. As a result, a meeting between Kay and the individual took place, leading to their arrest and the recovery of £200,000 in cash from Kay and Bennett’s residence.
Mottram, hailing from Warrington, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including misconduct in public office, perverting the course of justice, and unauthorized access to computer material. Jonathan Kay admitted to perverting the course of justice and received a 30-month prison sentence. The charge of perverting the course of justice against Leah Bennett was dropped.
Operation Venetic, conducted by the NCA, has been a resounding success in combating serious and organized crime. The operation has led to the conviction of over 1,240 offenders, the recovery of firearms, and the seizure of significant quantities of drugs. However, Mottram’s actions had the potential to undermine the entire operation. The NCA emphasized that there is no place for corrupt officers within the ranks of UK law enforcement and commended the investigation for uncovering Mottram’s betrayal.
