A judge has hit out at his lack of powers to jail an Essex Police computer analyst who trawled sensitive intelligence data because he was bored at work.

Judge Rodger Hayward Smith QC, at Chelmsford Crown Court, said it was astonishing he could only fine Christopher Payne for the serious breach of trust.

He also condemned the 33-year-old for spending all of the £20,000 he got from the sale of a property in April last year – including blowing £6,000 on a trip to Las Vegas with two friends – leaving him with scant resources to pay the £750 fine imposed.

Payne, formerly of Upper Chase, Chelmsford, and now living in Gillingham, passed on information about mobile phone records, checked up on his housemate’s two sisters, and accessed the record of another man’s arrest, the judge was told at Chelmsford Crown Court.

His illegal access of the police system from January 2007 to November 2008 – about 800 instances – came to light when he was threatened.Payne pleaded guilty to obtaining data from Essex Police intelligence system between January 2007 and November 2008 and to two offences under the Data Protection Act of disclosing personal data.

The judge fined Payne £250 on each offence, with 14 days prison in default on each if he doesn’t pay it all off within three months.

The court was told Payne had worked with Essex Police for four years, earning £1,500 a month net. He has been suspended on full pay since last November awaiting the outcome of his court appearance.

His activities came to light when Payne reported someone had threatened to expose him for allegedly selling information.

But the prosecutor said police didn’t believe Payne had compromised any ongoing investigation by accessing the intelligence records.

Defending, Payne’s lawyer Sophie Shotton said: “Unfortunately Payne suffered from a lack of work and therefore on occasions, particularly when working in the evenings, he would become bored and would go on to the computer system and check the details of people known to him or in his immediate environment around his home address because he feared about his personal safety.”

He was also depressed over family bereavements, she added.

Speaking afterwards, a spokesman for Essex Police said: “Essex Police does not accept the explanation given by Payne and the criminal investigation has proved he was simply carrying out random checks. The information he accessed referred to people known to him, but not to any sensitive cases or high level crime.” Payne will now face misconduct proceedings.