Senior officer found guilty over data sale bid

Detective Chief Inspector April Casburn leaving Southwark Crown Court in London Credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

A senior counter-terrorism detective has been found guilty of misconduct in public office for trying to sell information to the News of the World.

Casburn, 53, committed a "gross breach" of the public's trust by calling the now-defunct tabloid and offering details of the phone-hacking investigation in return for payment.

She is the first person to be prosecuted as a result of fresh police investigations into phone-hacking and corrupt payments, and will be sentenced next month.

ITV News Correspondent Damon Green reports:

Judge Mr Justice Fulford told Southwark Crown Court there is "a real possibility" Casburn will face a jail term.

Speaking outside the court, Detective Chief Superintendent Gordon Briggs, who is overseeing the inquiries, said:

The Metropolitan Police Service called it "a great disappointment" that Casburn had "abused her position" in such a manner, while the Independent Police Complaints Commission said her conviction was "a testament to the strenuous efforts being undertaken to identify police officers who may have taken corrupt payments".