Corrupt PC guilty of supplying stolen cocaine

A police officer who stole cocaine from the force evidence store to sell on the streets of Manchester has been found guilty of supplying the drug.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) detective Andrew Talbot's crimes were uncovered after he accidentally dropped a bag of cocaine at his daughter's school.

An investigation then found the 54-year-old had conspired with a drug dealer to sell the Class A substance.

Talbot, of Leigh, was also found guilty of misconduct in public office and will be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court next month.

Talbot stole just under 4kg (9lb) of cocaine from the GMP property store and supplied it to drug dealer Keith Bretherton between February 2018 and January 2020.

He also searched GMP computers for information about known drug dealers and then gave Bretherton confidential police intelligence to help him recover a £20,000 drug debt.

After the incident at the school in February 2020, police found a GMP property bag containing traces of cocaine at his home.

Detectives discovered he had been working with 50-year-old Bretherton to sell the stolen drugs.

He was sacked in August this year at what police said was the "earliest legal opportunity".

Liverpool Crown Court heard Talbot had earlier pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine and ammunition without a firearm certificate, stealing cocaine, conspiring with Bretherton to commit misconduct in a public office, misconduct in public office and accessing computer material without authorisation.

Bretherton pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and conspiracy, with Talbot, to commit misconduct in public office.

Rosemary Ainslie, head of the Crime Prosecution Service's Special Crime Division, said: “Andrew Talbot brazenly abused his position as a police officer for many years.

“Not only did he steal drugs from Greater Manchester Police’s own evidence store, he then shamelessly supplied those drugs on the streets of the city he was entrusted to police.

“His disgraceful criminal conduct and association with convicted drug dealer Keith Bretherton are in stark contrast to his duties as an officer to protect the public, and risk undermining public confidence in policing."

Det Ch Insp Jennifer Adams, of GMP’s Anti-Corruption Unit, said: “Talbot took an oath to be a police officer and to serve the public but instead began to abuse this position to enter a world of criminality.

"This is why he was sacked at the earliest legal opportunity back in August and why we worked with the CPS to build a strong prosecution case to ensure he is brought to justice for the full scale of his offending."