A cocaine-addicted detective who stole cocaine with a street value of almost £400,000 from police stores and supplied it to criminals has been jailed for 19 years.
Andrew Talbot, 54, was working as a detective constable for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) when he conspired with convicted drug dealer Keith Bretherton, 50, to sell the stolen drugs.
An anti-corruption investigation was launched after he dropped a bag of cocaine outside his daughter’s primary school.
It was discovered he had been visiting the stores while at work and would take as much cocaine that had been seized in police-busts “as he could fit in his pockets”.Sentencing him on Friday 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.”
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
James Lake, prosecuting, said: “Staff members were made aware that a snap bag containing white powder had been found on the footpath. When the school looked at close circuit television they saw that it was Andrew Talbot who had dropped the snap bag.
“Unsurprisingly, given they knew he was a police officer, they contacted the police.”
When Talbot was arrested after arriving for duty at work on February 17 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.
Mr Lake 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.
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.
