Corrupt detective's double life exposed after he dropped stolen drugs outside daughter's school
by John Scheerhout, Ellie Gosley · Wales OnlineThe double life of a corrupt detective who was also a drug dealer came to light after he dropped cocaine outside his daughter's primary school. Andrew Talbot, 54, from Leigh, was part of the Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) serious crime division when he swiped just under four kilos of the drug from the GMP property store.
Between February 2018 and January 2020, Talbot dealt cocaine, a substance he was also addicted to. The former army officer conspired with convicted drug dealer Keith Bretherton.
Talbot also abused his authority by supplying Bretherton with sensitive police information, helping to recover a drug debt exceeding £20,000. He further exploited his position by accessing the force's confidential computer records to identify potential buyers for the stolen drugs, as well as giving information to a friend who was being investigated for assault.
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His double life started to come to light on February 13, 2020 when he accidentally dropped a bag of cocaine outside his daughter's primary school. He was arrested after a probe by GMP's anti-corruption unit which initiated a probe by GMP's anti-corruption unit leading to his arrest. On Friday, he was sentenced to 19 years behind bars at Liverpool Crown Court, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: "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. You deceived your colleagues and betrayed the trust placed in you by them and the community."
Three days after he dropped the bag of drugs outside his daughter's school, he was searched at work and was found to be in possession of more cocaine. Further investigation of his car also found a note with the property numbers for two police operations investigating drug supply.
During a search of his home drug paraphernalia was also found, along with a GMP property bag with traces of cocaine. He refused to provide the passcode for his mobile phone, but detectives were still able to recover photos from the device which showed cocaine and exhibit bags on days he was in the property store.
He had close ties with convicted drug dealer Bretherton, 50, who served as one of several outlets for the stolen drugs. The investigation also uncovered that Talbot regularly conducted searches for known or suspected drug dealers on the police's database.
The jury did not believe Talbot's claims that these searches were related to his work rather than being a way for him to find buyers for the drugs he had stolen. The prosecution also successfully demonstrated that he distributed the drugs he stole and that his claims that the cocaine were solely for personal use, were false.
At the sentencing hearing, prosecutor James Lake stated that Talbot had played a key role in supplying class A drugs. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter
In mitigation, Talbot's barrister Ryan Donoghue highlighted the lack of a lavish lifestyle and emphasised that no significant amounts of cash had been seized from him. Mr Donoghue said: "His reward, or a significant amount of this reward, was the drugs to which he was addicted."
He added that no particular sophistication was needed to take the drugs from the GMP property store, which was run on trust. Talbot, who was 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.
Following a trial in September, he was found guilty of supplying a class A controlled drug, misconduct in public office and failing to comply with a notice under the Regulation and Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Bretherton, 51, had pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis and cocaine with intent to supply, as well as conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.
His barrister, Julian Nutter, informed the court that his client, who had 22 prior convictions for 61 offences, had not committed any further crimes while on bail awaiting sentencing. Mr Nutter stated that his client was did not know that he was "in bed with such a bent fellow" and regretted his actions.
He suggested that Bretherton had been "hunted down" and exploited by Talbot, and was "not a prime mover" in the supply of drugs. Bretheron received an eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
Neither man displayed any emotion as they were escorted away to commence their sentences.
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