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A policeman who helped a junior colleague steal and traffic drugs has been jailed for four months after vowing to teach police recruits about corruption when released.
The detective senior constable, who can't be identified, pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office, drug trafficking and theft, but received a discounted sentence for his offer to give evidence against the other policeman.
He admitted attending two fake raids with the other officer, a constable, and stealing cannabis crops from growers in January and February this year.
In January the pair arrived at a house in Werribee and produced a document they said was a warrant. They then took garbage bags of drugs, which were not entered into police logs. No warrant existed.
A month later an informer told the constable his uncle had a cannabis crop and the two officers signed out guns, equipment and an unmarked police car to go to the property on their day off.
They showed the occupant, who didn't understand English, a paper they said was a warrant and seized 18 plants.
The constable told the occupant if he paid them cash he would avoid prosecution.
At a later meeting the drug grower handed $8000 to the constable while the senior detective sat in a car and waited but did nothing to stop the extortion.
The officers and the informer hid the stolen plants at another house to be dried out, but plans to sell the crop for profit were dashed when the tenant discovered the plants while showing the property to potential home buyers and called police.
When the ethical standards division took over the investigation, both the informer and the senior detective made statements implicating the constable.
The judge said the senior detective had offered to speak at the police academy about corruption and his own experiences, despite humiliation it would bring him.
The senior detective was jailed for a year, but eight months was suspended for two years. The informer received a six-month term suspended for three years.
The constable is due to face a preliminary hearing in the magistrates' court next month.
Newshawk: user - <A HREF="420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking">420 Magazine</A>
Source: Herald and Weekly Times (Australia)
Pubdate: November 2006
Author: Elissa Hunt
Copyright: 2006 Herald and Weekly Times
Contact: mcdonaldj@hwt.newsltd.com.au
Website: Herald Sun Homepage | Australia's biggest selling daily newspaper
The detective senior constable, who can't be identified, pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office, drug trafficking and theft, but received a discounted sentence for his offer to give evidence against the other policeman.
He admitted attending two fake raids with the other officer, a constable, and stealing cannabis crops from growers in January and February this year.
In January the pair arrived at a house in Werribee and produced a document they said was a warrant. They then took garbage bags of drugs, which were not entered into police logs. No warrant existed.
A month later an informer told the constable his uncle had a cannabis crop and the two officers signed out guns, equipment and an unmarked police car to go to the property on their day off.
They showed the occupant, who didn't understand English, a paper they said was a warrant and seized 18 plants.
The constable told the occupant if he paid them cash he would avoid prosecution.
At a later meeting the drug grower handed $8000 to the constable while the senior detective sat in a car and waited but did nothing to stop the extortion.
The officers and the informer hid the stolen plants at another house to be dried out, but plans to sell the crop for profit were dashed when the tenant discovered the plants while showing the property to potential home buyers and called police.
When the ethical standards division took over the investigation, both the informer and the senior detective made statements implicating the constable.
The judge said the senior detective had offered to speak at the police academy about corruption and his own experiences, despite humiliation it would bring him.
The senior detective was jailed for a year, but eight months was suspended for two years. The informer received a six-month term suspended for three years.
The constable is due to face a preliminary hearing in the magistrates' court next month.
Newshawk: user - <A HREF="420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking">420 Magazine</A>
Source: Herald and Weekly Times (Australia)
Pubdate: November 2006
Author: Elissa Hunt
Copyright: 2006 Herald and Weekly Times
Contact: mcdonaldj@hwt.newsltd.com.au
Website: Herald Sun Homepage | Australia's biggest selling daily newspaper
