News of the World Scandal: Detective Who Tried To Sell Secrets Found Guilty

9:21 AM PST 1/10/2013 by Stuart Kemp

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Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Counter terrorist officer April Casburn tried to sell intel to a journalist working at Rupert Murdoch's now-defunct tabloid.

LONDON – A police officer has been found guilty of trying to sell information to the News of The World newspaper.

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Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. publishing division News International shuttered the tabloid newspaper as a result of being engulfed in the phone hacking scandal.

Detective chief inspector April Casburn, described as a senior counter-terrorism officer in press reports, was found guilty Thursday (Jan. 10) of trying to sell information to the paper about the ongoing phone-hacking police investigation in return for payment.

Casburn committed a "gross breach" of the public's trust by calling the now closed tabloid to offer the insider info.

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She was found guilty of one count of misconduct in public office by jurors at Southwark crown court Thursday.

During the course of her trial, it has emerged she telephoned the Sunday newspaper early on September 11 2010 and spoke to journalist Tim Wood, complaining about pressure from Lord Prescott over the phone hacking investigation and giving the names of two former News of the World journalists under investigation – Andy Coulson and Sean Hoare.

Greg McGill, a senior CPS lawyer said: "DCI Casburn has been found guilty of misconduct in public office – not only did she seek to divulge confidential information, she sought to leak details of a case to the very newspaper under investigation. This is a very serious offence and the jury has today agreed that DCI Casburn’s actions were criminal."