Outrage over suspended sentence for cop who leaked address of domestic violence victim

Studio 10 panellist Joe Hildebrand has hit out at the penalty handed to a Queensland policeman who walked free from court after leaking the address of a domestic violence victim to her abusive ex-partner.

THERE have been calls for a Queensland police officer who walked from court with a suspended sentence after leaking the address of a domestic violence victim to her ex-partner to be sent to jail.

Neil Punchard was this week handed a two-month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to accessing the official police database to leak the address of a domestic violence victim to her ex in 2014.

Five years after The Courier-Mail broke the story, Punchard still remains employed by the Queensland Police Service, with new Commissioner Katarina Carroll seeking ‘legal advice’ about what further action could take place.

Queensland Police Senior Constable Neil Punchard leaves the Magistrates Court in Brisbane after his sentencing. Picture: AAP Image/Glenn Hunt

Punchard remains on full pay, restricted to ‘administrative duties’

Appearing on Channel 10’s Studio 10 television show yesterday morning, panellist and News Corp columnist Joe Hildebrand said the suspended sentence was ‘unspeakably insufficient’.

Struggling to contain his emotions, Hildebrand said it was one of the ‘most disgraceful things’ he had ever heard.

“This cop should be in jail with a sign around his neck saying ‘I’m a cop’,” he said.

“I’m serious. Put him in prison with a god damn target on his back.

Struggling to contain his emotions, Joe Hildebrand said it was one of the ‘most disgraceful things’ he had ever heard.

“If you’re a domestic violence victim and you are on the run from your violent and abusive ex and you can’t trust a cop to keep your information confidential, then that is it.

“She (the woman) can probably never trust anybody in authority again.”

Punchard not only passed on the woman’s address to her ex, a personal friend, but then joked about how she would freak out when she knew her address was no longer a secret.

“Just tell her you know where she lives and leave it at that. Lol.” he wrote in a text message to his friend.