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A sacked Merseyside Police officer was cleared of one charge of misconduct in public office - but still faces a retrial over a plot to burgle cannabis farms.

Ex-PC Barry Parkinson is alleged to have sold sensitive intelligence from force databases to underworld associates, a five-week trial has heard.

Today, the jury found him not guilty of one count of misconduct, but were unable to reach a verdict on whether the 45-year-old conspired to commit burglary and conspired to supply cannabis, between January and June, last year.

The trial finished after a jury were unable to reach other verdicts on him and three of his co-accused - Robert Sloan, 44, of Steeple View, Kirkby; Gould, 52, of Grange Avenue, West Derby; and Blackburn, 30, of Kenbury Road, Kirkby.

David McLachlan, prosecuting, said the Crown Prosecution Service was likely to seek a retrial and the case was re-listed for Friday before the Recorder of Liverpool.

The only other verdict reached today was for David Nuttall, 44, of Bonnington Close, St Helens, who was acquitted of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.

He has previously admitted production of cannabis and abstracting electricity and will be sentenced a week before Christmas.

Parkinson, who previously admitted two misconduct charges which led to him being fired from Merseyside Police, hugged his co-accused in the dock when today’s trial was ended.

In his role as a Field Intelligence Development Officer (FIDO) in Liverpool South Basic Command Unit, Parkinson admitted accessing police systems and checking information about two people, which he passed onto taxi driver Sloan.

Prosecutors alleged that Sloan was the dad-of-two’s accomplice who “dealt cocaine by the kilo” and that Parkinson also sold data to him about suspected cannabis farms.

It is claimed Parkinson, of Beechburn Crescent, Huyton, trawled through sensitive police intelligence systems to check whether his criminal friends were being targeted.

Sloan has admitted aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office.

Sloan, Gould, and Blackburn all denied conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to supply cannabis.

Parkinson denied misconduct in a public office, conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to supply cannabis.