A corrupt officer who was ‘infatuated’ with her secret criminal boyfriend has been banned from the job after she raided police systems to pass intel to him.
Former PC Lorna Pennycook raided West Midlands Police systems 200 times so she could supply information to ‘professional’ crook Anthony Kennedy.
She ‘researched’ confidential details about investigations and shared them with her lorry jacker partner before attempting to cover her tracks by telling him to delete their messages.
Pennycook even convinced Kennedy not to end their sordid affair after he realised she was a police officer.
At an accelerated misconduct hearing in July, Pennycook was found to have breached standards of professional behaviour.
A panel ruled that her actions amounted to gross misconduct and she would have been dismissed had she still been working for the force.
Her actions were ‘calculated, deliberate, in no sense coerced’, a report from the hearing read.
Pennycook joined the force in January 2009, spending the majority of her career on the Birmingham East Neighbourhood Policing Unit where she became acting sergeant in August 2020.
Former PC Lorna Pennycook (pictured) raided West Midlands Police systems 200 times so she could supply information to her ‘professional’ crook boyfriend
Anthony Kennedy (pictured) was known to be part of an organised criminal group
In March 2021, she was posted to the organised crime and gangs team as a constable.
She started a relationship with Kennedy in 2016, finding out he was ‘involved in criminality’ the following year.
The report from Chief Constable Craig Guildford read: ‘[Kennedy] wanted to end the relationship upon discovering your profession; you clearly did not want to end the relationship despite learning that he was a criminal.
‘You remained in a relationship with him. You did not disclose this relationship to your supervisor.’
Pennycook ‘used numerous police systems to access sensitive policing information and intelligence’ which was not relevant to her duties between August 2017 and February 2021.
This was ‘deliberate conduct’ to get hold of information which would have been useful to Kennedy and his criminal associates, the report read.
Pennycook told Kennedy – who was known to be part of an organised criminal group – to delete her messages and ‘requested a burner phone’ so messages were not linked to her.
Pennycook started a relationship with Kennedy in 2016, finding out he was ‘involved in criminality’ the following year
She was arrested in April 2021 and resigned three months later.
The panel heard how she was charged with misconduct in a public office and admitted the charge – but with an ‘untruthful basis of plea’.
But her basis of plea was later abandoned and she was jailed for four years last December.
The report read: ‘This is a serious case of corruption whereby multiple repetitive system access was evidenced which included sensitive criminal intelligence over a three and a half year period.
‘The confidential data was accessed and shared with a known criminal for a non-policing purpose.’
It added: ‘She was an experienced officer and knew the rules.
‘She accessed the confidential data for personal gain in maintaining and furthering her own intimate relationship with a known criminal.
‘Her actions were calculated, deliberate and systemic in my determination.’
It read: ‘Officers should only check systems for a policing purpose never for personal gain.
‘On the balance of probability, she knew full well the consequences of what she shared which included sensitive intelligence concerning a planned search warrant and the details of a complainant.’
Pennycook, formerly of Walsall, penned a letter to a case worker within the force’s professional standards department in March 2025.
She ‘fully acknowledged’ her wrongdoing and said she expected to be dismissed.
Kennedy admitted assisting in the commission of misconduct in a public office and was jailed for four years last year
The report read: ‘The former officer stated that she is truly sorry for her actions and apologises to both West Midlands Police and the public.’
Pennycook was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour relating to confidentiality, discreditable conduct and honesty and integrity.
She now features on the College of Policing’s barred list.
Kennedy, then 43 and of Tipton, admitted assisting in the commission of misconduct in a public office and was jailed for four years last year.
Birmingham Crown Court previously heard how he had a criminal record boasting 18 convictions for 41 offences.
This included a gang lorry jacking in Oldbury which led to him being locked up for eight years in 2012.
Kennedy threatened to end his relationship with Pennycook over concerns it would have been damaging to his reputation with his criminal friends.
But Pennycook warned she would not leave him alone and said it would be ‘advantageous’ for him if they stayed together.
The former officer called Kennedy significantly more times than he contacted her during the four-year period, the court heard.
Pennycook had access to force computer systems which held information on crime reports, logs, custody records, alleged crimes, telephone numbers, vehicle registrations, wanted suspects, warrants to be executed and the management of prisoners.
She also ‘attempted to shift the blame’ upon Kennedy before she was sentenced, claiming she had acted under pressure.
