Greater Manchester Police officer jailed after stealing £400,000-worth of cocaine from lock-up
ITV Granada Reports journalist Anna Youssef was at Liverpool Crown Court to see Andrew Talbot jailed
A police officer who stole cocaine from a work lock-up worth almost £400,000 to sell on the same streets it had been taken from has been jailed for 19 years.
Andrew Talbot, 54, "stuffed as much [of the drug] as he could fit into his pockets" after visiting the secure store more than 30 times, before then using police computer systems to search for known dealers to help him sell it on.
The former detective constable with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was only caught when he accidentally dropped a wrap of cocaine outside his daughter's primary school in February 2020.
School staff had been made aware of the drugs on the footpath and discovered the small bag had fallen from Talbot's back pocket, all of which had been caught on CCTV.
He was arrested at work where he was found with more cocaine, while a search of his car and his home found drug paraphernalia and a GMP property bag with traces of the drug.
Officers then weighed cocaine held in the property store and it was revealed a significant quantity was missing.
Jailing him at Liverpool Crown Court Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: “As a result of conscientious and dedicated police work, large quantities of Class A drugs were taken off the streets by officers of Greater Manchester Police, many of whom were your colleagues.
“As a result of your addiction and greed a significant quantity of that cocaine was put back into circulation.
“You deceived your colleagues and you betrayed the trust placed in you by them and the community.”
Former DC Andrew Talbot was caught after CCTV captured him dropping a bag of cocaine outside his daughter's primary school
The court heard how Talbot conspired with convicted drug dealer Keith Bretherton, 50, to sell almost 4kg of the stolen drugs between 2018 and 2020.
When Talbot was arrested after arriving for duty at work on 17 February 2020, a total of 26.8g of high purity cocaine was found in his coat pocket, as well as smaller amounts which were lower purity, the court heard.
Snap bags and a piece of paper with exhibit references for Operation Cosmetic, which investigated the nationwide supply of cocaine, were found in his car and three bullets were found at his home in Leigh, Greater Manchester.
When officers checked drugs which had been seized as part of Operation Cosmetic and another investigation they found just under 4kg of cocaine was missing.
James Lake, prosecuting said: “He accepted when he attended the property store he would take pocketfuls, as much as he could fit in his pockets.”
The court heard the drugs had an estimated wholesale value of £140,000 and a retail value of £394,500.
Talbot conducted multiple searches of GMP’s confidential computer systems for known or suspected drug dealers in his area.
The judge said: “Although it is unclear exactly how Andrew Talbot disposed of the stolen cocaine, I have no doubt that he sold it to criminals who, in turn, cut it and sold it on the streets.”
Talbot also provided confidential police information to a friend under investigation for assault and to Bretherton, to help him recover a drug debt worth more than £20,000, the court heard.
Ryan Donoghue, defending Talbot, said there was no evidence Talbot was living a “lavish lifestyle”.
He said: “He did have at the time a long-standing addiction to cocaine.”
The court heard Talbot had served in the police force for 20 years, and had spent three years in the armed forces, but had become addicted to cocaine after difficulties in his personal life and due to his role in an operation in which Anthony Grainger was shot by armed police in Culcheth, Cheshire.
Detective Chief Inspector Jennifer Adams, from GMP's Anti-Corruption Unit, says Talbot abused his position
Detective Chief Inspector Jennifer Adams, of GMP's Anti-Corruption Unit, said: “This is one of the most shocking cases of corruption we’ve uncovered, and Talbot will now serve a long sentence behind bars for abusing his role as a police officer.
“He betrayed his oath to serve the public and instead became a criminal; he not only stole drugs that had been taken from the streets, but he also unlawfully used police systems and conspired with a known local drug dealer to add further crime and fear to communities.
“This was a complex and wide-ranging investigation involving a team of detectives who worked tirelessly to bring Talbot to justice for the full extent of his crimes.
"Whilst cases like this are concerning, they are extremely rare, and our anti-corruption is dedicated to uncovering any criminality within the force.
“There is no place for Talbot or anyone else in police uniform who cannot be trusted to catch criminals and keep our streets safe.
“We will continue to relentlessly root out those who are not fit to represent the thousands of hard-working officers that serve the people of Greater Manchester.”
Talbot was found guilty following a trial of supplying a controlled drug of Class A, misconduct in public office and failing to provide the passcode for his phone.
He had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of cocaine, possession of ammunition without a firearm certificate, theft of cocaine, conspiracy, with Bretherton, to commit misconduct in public office, a further count of misconduct in public office, and unauthorised access to computer material.
Bretherton, also of Leigh, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office and was jailed for eight-and-a-half years.