A former Metropolitan Police Service police officer has today, Friday, 4 July, been sentenced to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to misconduct in a public office.

Sam Azouelos, 35 (5.04.79) [Elveden Arrest 59] a former detective constable of Finchley was sentenced to 14 months in prison and was further ordered to pay costs of £4,400 at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to one count of misconduct in public office.

Between July 2006 and April 2010 Azouelos acted as a paid for informant for The Sun newspaper. He was arrested on 1 February 2013 on suspicion of misconduct in a public office contrary to Common Law and on Friday, 6 June pleaded guilty to the offence.

During the investigation detectives discovered he was a member of a football team alongside a number of journalists. It is here officers believe he established close links with journalists and started accepting payments for information.

Azouelos became a police officer in October 2004 and was stationed in Camden from June 2005 to March 2010. From 2009 he worked on the robbery squad and from March 2010 to October 2012 he was working in the Homicide and Serious Crime Squad. He remained a constable throughout that period.

He was suspended on 1 February 2013 and on 5 September 2013 was dismissed from the organisation for gross misconduct.

Detective Chief Supt Gordon Briggs, from Operation Eleveden, said: “This was a serious offence and a gross breach of public trust.

“The officer was dismissed from the Metropolitan Police last year sending out a strong message that there is no place for this type of criminal behaviour in the organistion.”