Senior detective, 46, is facing jail for accessing police records to pass on information to her nightclub bouncer former lover

By ROBERT FOLKER, NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:14, 9 July 2026 | Updated: 12:21, 9 July 2026 A senior detective is facing jail for illegally accessing police computer records to pass on information to a nightclub bouncer who she had slept with. Detective Inspector Emma Gardner, 46, logged into police computer files to pass on details to bouncer Simon Acton who she had sex with twice. Giving evidence, she said she first met Mr Acton while he was working as a nightclub bouncer and she was a uniformed officer in Rhyl in Denbighshire, Wales. The pair became Facebook friends and had sex on two occasions but were never in a relationship, she said, describing their relationship as 'platonic'. She told the court they had not seen each other since December 2019, but that Mr Acton contacted her around two years later seeking advice over what he described as a 'controlling' relationship and claiming he had not been treated fairly by police. Prosecutor Andrew Scott said the detective accessed logs involving 'a relatively minor complaint' and 'tittle-tattle' about her male friend and three women. The complaint was being dealt with by an uniformed officer when Gardner decided to go through the logs over nine months in 2022.  However, Gardner told jurors at Caernarfon Crown Court on Tuesday that every time she accessed police systems was for a legitimate policing purpose, adding she devoted her life to policing. Detective Inspector Emma Gardner, 46, is facing jail for illegally accessing police computer records to pass information to her a nightclub bounce who she had slept with. Gardner (pictured outside Caernarfon Crown Court) joined North Wales Police in 2000, where she worked across various roles, including in the Protecting Vulnerable People Unit.  Gardner claimed: 'I believe every access was for a policing purpose' when she denied unauthorised access during her trial.  But, a jury rejected her claims after finding she passed information to Mr Acton who she had slept with twice.  Gardner joined North Wales Police in 2000, where she worked across various roles, including in the Protecting Vulnerable People Unit. The detective told the jury her relationship with Mr Acton had 'escalated' through messages and that he became a source of emotional support. 'It was purely messages we sent each other. He was a source of support,' she said. In one message she told Mr Acton: 'I have my uses.'       Asked by Mr Scott whether it was appropriate for a police officer of any rank to become involved in an investigation concerning a close friend, Gardner replied: 'Yes.' She added: 'I believe I have remained impartial. If Simon Acton had admitted any offences to me I would have arrested him or arranged for his arrest.' However, after being found guilty, Gardner will be sentenced in early September.     Judge Timothy Petts said: 'It's an unusual offence and unusual for me to be dealing with a senior serving officer as a defendant. 'These sorts of offences by serving officers are treated very seriously. 'I am not saying custody is the only option, but it's going to be uppermost in my mind.' Speaking after the verdict, Deputy Chief Constable Nigel Harrison said: 'We acknowledge the decision of the jury. 'The officer has been suspended whilst the criminal case was ongoing, and we will now progress with misconduct proceedings following today's verdict.'