The corrupt drug dealing detective who dropped a bag of cocaine outside his daughter's primary school

A corrupt detective whose secret life as a drug dealer began to unravel when he dropped off cocaine outside his daughter's primary school has been jailed.

Andrew Talbot, 54, from Leigh, who worked in GMP's serious crime division, stole just under four kilos of cocaine from the GMP property store, before then supplying it between February 2018 and January 2020.

Talbot, a cocaine-addicted former army officer, conspired with a convicted drug dealer, Keith Bretherton, and used his position as a police officer to give him confidential force information to help him to recover a drug debt worth more than £20,000. He also searched the force's confidential computer systems for known or suspected drug dealers to help him shift the drugs he stole and provide information to a friend who was under investigation for assault.

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His crimes only began to unravel, however, when he dropped a small bag of cocaine outside his daughter’s primary school on February 13 2020, prompting a major investigation by GMP’s anti-corruption unit.

He was jailed for 19 years at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday. Judge Neil Flewitt KC told him: "As a former police officer, you knew the harm caused by the distribution of class A drugs that brought misery to those addicted to them and brought suffering to those decent people who were victims of crime committed by those addicts."

He added: "You deceived your colleagues and betrayed the trust placed in you by them and the community."

When searched at work three days after he unwittingly dropped the bag of cocaine at his daughter's school, he was found with more cocaine, with his car containing a piece of paper with the property number for two police operations into the supply of the drug. A further search of his home then revealed drug paraphernalia and a GMP property bag containing traces of cocaine.

Talbot refused to hand over the pin number for his mobile phone. However, detectives were able to recover some of the photographs from the device, which included pictures of the cocaine and exhibit bags on days when he accessed the property store. He also worked closely with Bretherton, 50, who provided one of a number of outlets for the stolen drugs.

Searches for known or suspected drug dealers were also regularly conducted by Talbot on GMP’s computer systems. The jury didn't believe his claims these searches weren't to secure buyers for the stolen drugs or his assertions they related to his work or were made out of professional curiosity.

During the trial, the prosecution was able to prove that Talbot supplied the drugs he stole, and that the cocaine was not just for personal use, as he claimed. The prosecution also proved that Talbot attempted to frustrate the investigation by providing an incorrect passcode for his phone after receiving a formal notice to disclose it.

Prosecutor James Lake told the sentencing hearing Talbot had played a 'leading role' in the supply of class A drugs. Talbot's barrister Ryan Donoghue, mitigating, pointed to an 'absence of a lavish lifestyle' and said 'no significant' amounts of cash had been seized from him.

"His reward, or a significant amount of this reward, was the drugs to which he was addicted," said Mr Donoghue, adding that 'no particular sophistication was required' to steal the drugs from GMP's property store, which the court heard was 'run on trust'.

The detective, sacked by GMP in August, pleaded guilty in November last year 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.

And following a trial in September Talbot was found guilty of supplying a controlled drug of Class A, misconduct in public office and failing to comply with a notice under section 49 of the Regulation and Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

Bretherton. 51, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and conspiracy, with Talbot, to commit misconduct in public office. His barrister, Julian Nutter, told the court his client, who had 22 convictions for 61 previous offences, had committed no further crimes while on bail awaiting sentence.

Mr Nutter said his client was unaware he was 'in bed with such a bent fellow' and was 'deeply sorry' for his actions. He claimed Bretherton had been 'hunted down' and used by Talbot and was 'not a prime mover' the supply of drugs.

Bretheron was jailed for eight-and-half years. Neither man showed any reaction as they were led away to begin their sentences.