Senior detective and police constables in court accused of perverting justice

Detective Chief Inspector Elizabeth Belton is also accused of seven offences of breaching data laws over allegations that she misused police computers to obtain information.

Belton, 48, and PCs Judith Mulligan, 46, and Mohammed Gother, 51, are accused of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

It’s understood the allegations relate to an investigation into an offence of attempted burglary at Mulligan’s home in 2013, in which it is claimed that Mulligan was shown a photograph of suspects ahead of an identification procedure.

Belton also faces seven charges of obtaining or disclosing personal data between September 2014 and May 2015.

The charges relate to her “knowingly or recklessly” obtaining personal data in relation to four named individuals.

Prosecutor Mark Auty said the offences relate to misuse of information and misuse of pictures of people in custody.

No pleas were entered by any of the defendants.

All three spoke only to confirm their names and dates of birth when they appeared at Leeds Magistrates’ Court.

The case was committed to Leeds Crown Court, where all three will have to appear on August 19 for the next hearing. All three were granted unconditional bail.

Belton, currently suspended from duty is part of West Yorkshire Police’s Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, the unit responsible for investigating some of the region’s most high profile cases.

Prior to being arrested, Belton was leading the new enquiry into the historic murder of Wakefield teenager Elsie Frost in 1965.