Moment detective caught dropping cocaine outside daughter's school

This is the moment a corrupt detective was caught on CCTV dropping a wrap of cocaine in the grounds of his daughter's primary school, as he is jailed for 19 years.

Dt Con Andrew Talbot, 54, brazenly accessed the Greater Manchester Police evidence store, without any legitimate reason, on ten separate occasions and 'took pocketfuls' of the Class A drug, 'as much as he could fit in his pockets.'

After sneaking out the drugs, totalling almost four kilos with a street value of £394,500, having tricked the trusting evidence store staff, he used some to feed his own drug habit and sold the rest.

Jailing him Judge Neil Flewitt, KC, said, 'As a result of your addiction and greed a significant quantity of that cocaine was kept back into circulation.

'In that way……you deceived your colleagues and you betrayed the trust placed in you by them and by the community.' 

The school's CCTV system showed a small snap bag falling from DC Andrew Talbot's back pocket before it was seized by his employers. 

The 54-year-old was jailed today for drug and misconduct offences and was slammed for an 'egregious' breach of his oath to serve the public. 

After the dropped wrap was traced to him as a result of the CCTV footage in February 2020, Talbot was arrested when he arrived for work at GMP's Serious Crime Division four days later.

Further cocaine was found on his person and in his car along with drug paraphernalia at his home in Leigh, near Wigan.

Officers weighed cocaine seized in two earlier drug cases and discovered just under 4kg was missing.

Talbot later admitted stealing the cocaine and abusing his access to police computer systems to search up local drug dealers.

He has also admitted conspiring with convicted drug dealer Keith Bretherton by posing as a police officer in charge of a bogus investigation to 'encourage and intimidate' a man into repaying a £20,000 debt.

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Police officer who stole 4kg of cocaine caught after he dropped drug wrap at daughter's school

But he denied supplying the cocaine, insisting it had been for personal use and that he had been a cocaine user since 2012.

And he denied searching for drug dealers as an outlet for the cocaine he had stolen, insisting it was part of his policing duties or simply out of professional curiosity.

He stated that he took the drugs to work because he did not want to leave them at home where his children were.

However after a trial last month where prosecutors said he had 'routinely and brazenly abused the trust the public had placed in him', Talbot was convicted of supplying the 3.94kg of cocaine to another between 2018 and 2020.

He was also found guilty of misconduct in public office by accessing intelligence information about drug dealers.

Talbot was also convicted of failing to comply with a notice under the Regulation and Investigatory Powers Act by giving investigators a false passcode for his mobile phone, which contained photographs of the stolen drugs.

He had also pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition without a firearm certificate and accessing the police computer to provide information to a close friend who was being investigated for assault.

Bretherton, 50, also of Leigh, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and conspiracy with Talbot to commit misconduct in public office.

Talbot was sacked earlier this year following an accelerated misconduct hearing.

Following his conviction, Detective Chief Inspector Jennifer Adams, of GMP's Anti-Corruption Unit, said: 'Our tenacious investigation into Andrew Talbot uncovered the appalling extent of his criminality, which involved him abusing his position of power for his own personal gratification and criminal gains.

'Through our investigation, it became clear Talbot had stolen a significant amount of Class A drugs from evidence and was redistributing these drugs back into the streets of Greater Manchester.

'Talbot took an oath to be a police officer and to serve the public, but instead began to abuse this position and entered a world of criminality.

'This was an egregious breach of public trust.

'It was the reason we've ensured he's been brought to justice for the full scale of his offending.

'This was a lengthy and detailed investigation demonstrating the diligence of the officers in our Anti-Corruption Unit, and this case sends a strong message about the expectations we have for serving police officers.

'We know the vast majority of officers are dedicated and compassionate professionals, but we have no tolerance for anyone like Talbot who is not fit to serve the people of Greater Manchester.'

Rosemary Ainslie, Head of the CPS Special Crime Division, added: '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.

'I hope this conviction serves as a reminder that no-one is above the law and that all offenders will be held accountable.'