Campbell Beers, a serving PSNI officer, has been charged with wilful neglect of duty and unlawfully obtaining personal data. He denies the allegations, including a sexual relationship with a member of the public linked to his policing role. The trial is set for 7 October after a court hearing.
A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer, Campbell Beers, has appeared before Belfast Crown Court facing charges related to misconduct in public office and unlawfully obtaining personal data. The hearing took place on Wednesday, with Beers formally charged with two offences linked to the period between September 2020 and October 2021.
According to court documents, Beers, whose age was not disclosed and whose address was listed as "Tennent Street PSNI," admitted his identity to the court. He faces a charge of wilfully neglecting to perform his duty and wilfully misconducting himself by conducting a sexual relationship with a member of the public whom he had met through his role as a police officer. Beers pleaded not guilty to this allegation.
In addition, Beers denied unlawfully obtaining personal data without the consent of the data controller on 14 September 2020, also pleading not guilty to that charge.
During the proceedings, Beers’s defence barrister, Ian Turkington KC, requested an adjournment of three weeks to address issues concerning the disclosure of evidence and to prepare a defence statement. Judge Sandra Crawford agreed to this request, setting the trial start date for 7 October and scheduling a review hearing for 21 May.
Judge Crawford also approved the defence application for Beers to be granted continuing bail pending the trial.
The Irish News (Belfast) is reporting on this case, which highlights ongoing legal processes involving a serving PSNI officer accused of serious allegations. The handling of these charges will proceed through the established judicial system, with further updates anticipated as the trial date approaches.
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative appears to be timely and not recycled, as it discusses an ongoing legal case with a future trial date.
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
While there are no direct quotes provided in the narrative, the lack of existing online sources for specific quotes does not indicate plagiarism. However, it's difficult to verify originality without more context.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative originates from The Irish News, which is a regional publication with a history of local reporting. While not as globally recognised as larger outlets, it is generally reliable for local news.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The allegations and legal proceedings are plausible, given the context of misconduct charges against a public officer. The narrative provides specific details about dates and proceedings.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative appears fresh, with no clear signs of being outdated or recycled. The lack of direct quotes limits assessment but does not indicate fraudulence. The source is local but generally reliable. The allegations are plausible and supported by legal proceedings.
