A female cop who was pictured kissing one of two criminal associates she had become “infatuated” with as she passed them information has been jailed.
Choni Kenny, 27, who joined Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in 2020, was handed a prison sentence of three years and nine months. A two-day sentencing hearing was told she had a “casual sexual relationship” with Josh Whelan, described by Judge Neil Flewitt KC as a “committed criminal”, and a “physical but casual” relationship with former schoolmate Rahim Mottley.
And a shocking new image has been released by GMP, showing the pair embracing and sharing a kiss in a waiting room at Forest Bank Prison in Salford, Greater Manchester – while she was still wearing police uniform. Whelan, who was in prison from 2021 to 2023, was in possession of 20 mobile phones while locked up – all funded and delivered by Kenny.
Sentencing her at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge Flewitt said: “Your actions were not motivated by a desire for a financial or other advantage or borne out of any malice. They were a consequence of your naivety, immaturity and wish to maintain the friendship of Josh Whelan and Rahim Mottley.”
He said the men “took advantage” and “exploited” Kenny’s willingness to disclose information which could be of benefit to themselves and criminal associates. But, he added: “You must have known that what you were doing was wrong.”
The judge told Kenny: “You have let down not only GMP and the community it serves but also yourself, your family and your friends.” Kenny accessed police information and intelligence which she disclosed to Whelan, including a victim statement taken when he was accused of violence against a former partner, the court heard.
In November 2022, when Whelan was released from a prison sentence, Kenny was seen with him in her BMW and went to a Nando’s restaurant with him, before going to work where she searched for details of prisoners released that week.
Alexander Beevers, defending Whelan, said: “He is a convicted criminal. His co-defendant liked that aspect of his character, it is something which appealed to her and unfortunately she, in addition and unusually, had the status of being a police officer. She was willing to make use of that status.”
The court heard after Mottley was arrested in February 2022, Kenny searched police systems to access information about the investigation.
She told him about a planned police firearms raid and promised to find out who the “local grasses” were before attending a course about handling police informants, the court heard. Mottley was arrested in Spain, where some of his family lived and Kenny had spent time with him, and was extradited to face proceedings.
A GMP spokesman said Kenny had been dismissed following an accelerated misconduct hearing on April 1. Chief Constable Stephen Watson said: “Pc Kenny’s offending behaviour was simply unacceptable. Her accessing and sharing police data with active criminals is a tangible manifestation of a distinct lack of integrity, decency and moral fibre which additionally point to her being manifestly unsuited to the office of constable.”
Kenny, of Cheadle, Greater Manchester, admitted four counts of misconduct in a public office and one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office at an earlier hearing. Mottley, 28, was sentenced to two years and four months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.
Whelan, of Wythenshawe, Manchester, was jailed for two years and eight months after admitting three counts of possessing a specified item in prison, possession of a bladed article, racially aggravated assault, threatening behaviour and a bail offence.
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