A former detective for Greater Manchester Police has been sentenced to 19 years in prison after a trial found him guilty of stealing almost 4kg of cocaine worth nearly £400,000 over a two-year period, as well as falsely using the force’s computer systems to find a drug dealer with whom he could sell the drugs. As part of the operation that uncovered his crooked dealings, it emerged that Andrew Talbot had dropped a bag of white powder outside his daughter’s primary school that was later found by staff. They viewed CCTV footage and recognised Talbot before notifying the police.
Speaking at Liverpool Crown Court, where Talbot was sentenced, Judge Neil Flewitt highlighted the volume of cocaine that had returned to the streets as a result of Talbot’s “addiction and greed,” adding that he had tricked colleagues who had trusted him. Talbot went to great lengths to steal the cocaine, visiting the police’s property store multiple times and pocketing as much as he could carry. Once he had stolen the drugs the first time, he became more confident and began to visit the store more frequently.
The value of the cocaine on the black market would have been in excess of £390,000, leaving Talbot with a significant amount to sell. Although it is unclear to what extent he was involved in distributing the drugs, the judge said he had no doubt that he sold them to those who would then go on to cut and distribute the further product. One notable facet of the case was that Talbot had served in the police force for 20 years before being caught for his crimes.
Judge Flewitt also said that Talbot had provided confidential information to a friend who was being investigated for assault and passed on similar information related to Keith Bretherton, the man with whom he dealt in the cocaine. Despite defence counsel claims that he had no evidence to show Talbot had lived a “lavish lifestyle,” it was clear from the evidence provided by the prosecution, that his addiction to cocaine drove him to do whatever he could to get his hands on it, with theft being just one of the ways in which he satisfied his craving. Bretherton was jailed for eight and a half years
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