Former detective jailed after stealing almost 4kg of cocaine from police stores while at work

A cocaine-addicted detective who stole cocaine with a thoroughfare worth of astir £400,000 from constabulary stores and supplied it to criminals has been jailed for 19 years.

Andrew Talbot, 54, was moving arsenic a detective constable for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) erstwhile helium conspired with convicted cause trader Keith Bretherton, 50, to merchantability the stolen drugs.

An anti-corruption probe was launched aft helium dropped a container of cocaine extracurricular his daughter’s superior school.

It was discovered helium had been visiting the stores portion astatine enactment and would instrumentality arsenic overmuch cocaine that had been seized successful police-busts “as helium could acceptable successful his pockets”. Sentencing him connected Friday astatine Liverpool Crown Court, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: “As a effect of conscientious and dedicated constabulary work, ample quantities of Class A drugs were taken disconnected the streets by officers of Greater Manchester Police, galore of whom were your colleagues.

“As a effect of your addiction and greed a important quantity of that cocaine was enactment backmost into circulation.

“You deceived your colleagues and you betrayed the spot placed successful you by them and the community.”

Although it is unclear precisely however Andrew Talbot disposed of the stolen cocaine, I person nary uncertainty that helium sold it to criminals who, successful turn, chopped it and sold it connected the streets

Judge Neil Flewitt KC

James Lake, prosecuting, said: “Staff members were made alert that a drawback container containing achromatic pulverization had been recovered connected the footpath. When the schoolhouse looked astatine adjacent circuit tv they saw that it was Andrew Talbot who had dropped the drawback bag.

“Unsurprisingly, fixed they knew helium was a constabulary officer, they contacted the police.”

When Talbot was arrested aft arriving for work astatine enactment connected February 17 2020, a full of 26.8g of precocious purity cocaine was recovered successful his overgarment pocket, arsenic good arsenic smaller amounts which were little purity, the tribunal heard.

Snap bags and a portion of insubstantial with grounds references for Operation Cosmetic, which investigated the nationwide proviso of cocaine, were recovered successful his car and 3 bullets were recovered astatine his location successful Leigh, Greater Manchester.

When officers checked drugs which had been seized arsenic portion of Operation Cosmetic and different probe they recovered conscionable nether 4kg of cocaine was missing.

Mr Lake said: “He accepted erstwhile helium attended the spot store helium would instrumentality pocketfuls, arsenic overmuch arsenic helium could acceptable successful his pockets.”

The tribunal heard the drugs had an estimated wholesale worth of £140,000 and a retail worth of £394,500.

Talbot conducted aggregate searches of GMP’s confidential machine systems for known oregon suspected cause dealers successful his area.

The justice said: “Although it is unclear precisely however Andrew Talbot disposed of the stolen cocaine, I person nary uncertainty that helium sold it to criminals who, successful turn, chopped it and sold it connected the streets.”

Talbot besides provided confidential constabulary accusation to a person nether probe for battle and to Bretherton, to assistance him retrieve a cause indebtedness worthy much than £20,000, the tribunal heard.

Ryan Donoghue, defending Talbot, said determination was nary grounds Talbot was surviving a “lavish lifestyle”.

He said: “He did person astatine the clip a long-standing addiction to cocaine.”

The tribunal heard Talbot had served successful the constabulary unit for 20 years, and had spent 3 years successful the equipped forces, but had go addicted to cocaine aft difficulties successful his idiosyncratic beingness and owed to his relation successful an cognition successful which Anthony Grainger was changeable by equipped constabulary successful Culcheth, Cheshire.

Talbot was recovered blameworthy pursuing a proceedings of supplying a controlled cause of Class A, misconduct successful nationalist bureau and failing to supply the passcode for his phone.

He had antecedently pleaded blameworthy to 2 counts of possession of cocaine, possession of ammunition without a firearm certificate, theft of cocaine, conspiracy, with Bretherton, to perpetrate misconduct successful nationalist office, a further number of misconduct successful nationalist office, and unauthorised entree to machine material.

Bretherton, besides of Leigh, Greater Manchester, pleaded blameworthy to possession of cannabis, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and conspiracy to perpetrate misconduct successful nationalist bureau and was jailed for eight-and-a-half years.