Former T-Mobile staff handed data theft fines

David Turley and Darren Hames fined £73,000 after pleading guilty to unlawfully passing on customer details

Two former T-Mobile employees have been fined more than £73,000 after pleading guilty to unlawfully passing on customer data.

David Turley and Darren Hames both admitted breaching Section 55 of the Data Protection Act by selling on customer details to unspecified third parties.

Turley pleaded guilty to 18 offences and was ordered to pay £45,000 in confiscation costs. He also a received a three-year conditional discharge.

Hames pleaded guilty to two offences and received a fine of £28,700. He must also pay a further £500 in prosecution costs, and was given an 18-month conditional discharge.

Furthermore, if Turley or Hames fail to pay their fines within the next six months, they will be sent to prison for 18 and 15 months respectively.

The offences date back to 2008, and were uncovered by a joint investigation between T-Mobile and data protection watchdog the Information Commissioner's Office.

Information commissioner Christopher Graham slammed the pair's attempts to profit from passing on personal data.

"The lifestyle the pair gained from their criminal activities has been short-lived and I hope this case serves as a strong deterrent to others," said Graham. "I am particularly grateful to T-Mobile for their help in this investigation."