Police officer fined after 'puzzling' GDPR offence

Advocate tells court 'exemplary officer’s career has effectively come to an end'

A police officer from Foxdale has been fined £800 after disclosing personal data in an offence described as ‘puzzling’.

Richard Alan Cretney was sentenced at Douglas Courthouse today (15 September) after pleading guilty to one charge relating to General Data Protection Regulation.

The 46-year-old had initially pleaded not guilty and was due to stand trial but was rearraigned by High Bailiff James Brooks.

‘Breach of trust’

The court heard Sergeant Cretney’s phone was seized on 19 April 2024 and examined by officers.

Messages sent more than a year before, on 8 April 2023, between him and his father - a former deputy chief constable - were recovered.

They showed Sergeant Cretney disclosing information about a family member’s alleged involvement in an ongoing investigation and sending a screenshot from the police computer system.

Sergeant Cretney was suspended in April 2024 and remains suspended by the Isle of Man Constabulary.

In interview, in February 2025, he said he didn’t believe any harm had been caused by his disclosure because his father was already aware of the incident.  

Prosecutor Kathryn Johnson told the court: “The offence represents a serious breach of trust.

“The defendant had no need to access the information and send it to his father.”

‘Extremely regrettable’

Defending Sergeant Cretney his advocate, Steve Wood, said he accepted that cases involving police officers attract ‘significant public interest’.

He made strides to differentiate Sergeant Cretney’s case from another involving two serving police officers who were sacked this month after being convicted of data offences.

Mr Wood described their offending as ‘significantly more grave’ adding in this case there was no ‘malicious motive’.

“No systems were changed, no personal data was changed,” he added.  

He said Sergeant Cretney’s offending was an ‘extremely regrettable but straightforward’ breach of GDPR which was ‘limited in scope, brief in duration and limited in content’.

Mr Wood said Sergeant Cretney had seen his father as a ‘mentor’ adding: “He’s a man that stems from a lengthy line of high-ranking police officers. Being a police officer runs in the defendant’s family.”

‘Exemplary officer’

Describing Sergeant Cretney as an ‘exemplary member of our community’ Mr Wood read excerpts of references provided to the court by friends and colleagues.

“I accept that breaches of GDPR, when committed by police officers, are perhaps more serious than in other situations.” - Steve Wood (Advocate)

He also questioned why the offence could not have been ‘dealt with in an in-house way’ by the Isle of Man Constabulary.

Prosecutor Johnson told the court that disposal option had been suggested to the defence in December 2025.

Acknowledging that Sergeant Cretney’s plea had been entered at the ‘eleventh hour’ his advocate told the court the proceedings had had a ‘grave’ impact on the police officer.

He was, Mr Wood said, unlikely to be able to return to policing with the advocate adding: “The future is uncertain for Sergeant Cretney.

“It is such a shame that an exemplary officer’s career has effectively come to an end in this manner.”

‘Why?’

Addressing Sergeant Cretney in the dock High Bailiff Brooks told him the question he’d been left with was ‘why?’.

He said it was clear the officer had served in his role in a ‘truly exemplary manner’ adding: “That makes what you have done more inexplicable. You must have known that was wrong.”

Describing Sergeant Cretney as a ‘foolish man’ he said his offending was ‘puzzling’ adding his actions had been akin to a ‘child who has become almost giddy with gossip’.

Sergeant Cretney was also ordered to pay £600 in prosecution costs. 

Six other offences of disclosing personal data, which had previously been denied, were dismissed by the court.

Isle of Man Constabulary

In a statement, provided to Manx Radio, the Isle of Man Constabulary said it notes the outcome of the court proceedings in relation to the serving police officer.

It adds: "The constabulary is considering the implications of the court's findings and any consequential internal processes.

"It would be inappropriate to comment further while those matters remain ongoing."