|
|
|
| NEWS > 27 October 2006 |
Other related articles:
Q&A: 'Sack police officers wit
Is a police force accountable only to the common man possible? Prakash Singh, a former DGP of Uttar Pradesh, thinks it can be realised. Now that the Supreme Court has issued directions to the Centre and the state governments on Singh's petition seeking police reforms, things could change in the coming days. Singh tells Manjari Mishra that entrenched interests within the force and the political class would resist the changes:
Out of the slew of reforms suggested by the Supreme Court recently, which one do you think will have a far-reaching impact in reforming the police force?
... Read more
|
 Article sourced from
|
|
Guardian Unlimited - UK
27 October 2006
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
|
|
Jail for police who leaked inq
Two corrupt Nottinghamshire police officers were jailed yesterday for passing information about investigations to suspected criminals. One of the officers was paid with discounts on designer suits for leaking details of police inquiries, including one into the high-profile murder of a Nottingham jeweller.
Charles Fletcher, 26, and Philip Parr, 40, were sentenced to seven years and 12 months respectively, at Birmingham crown court, after pleading guilty to misconduct in a public office. Five other defendants, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office, were also sentenced.
Jailing the two men, Judge Saunders said : "Corrupt police officers do untold damage to the criminal justice system."
The court heard that Fletcher, who joined the police in 1999, sought information at the request of the manager of a fashion store in Nottingham. Among the investigations about which he passed on details was that of the murder of Marian Bates, the jeweller shot dead in her shop in 2003. The policeman was rewarded with discounts on clothes from the store.
Another case for which Fletcher provided information was the double murder of John and Joan Stirland, who were killed at home in Trusthorpe, Lincolnshire, in 2004. The judge said that the information Fletcher provided was of limited value as he was already then under suspicion.
Fletcher also carried out intelligence checks on suspected criminals at their own request. Information about those people from anonymous sources was also given to them, the court heard.
Parr, a former police constable, passed on details of a burglary suspect and did a background check on a woman on behalf of her partner, a suspected criminal.
Fletcher blamed his dishonesty on "greed, vanity and naivete". In a letter last year to his former colleagues, he wrote: "I do not expect any forgiveness for my actions and do not ask for it. I can only offer my deepest apologies in betraying your trust and confidence in me. It's something I am immeasurably ashamed of and shall have to live with for the rest of my life."
Paul Greasey, defending Parr, said his client had done a favour for a friend, rather than acted in the true spirit of corruption. "He stopped as soon as he realised the gravity of what he had done."
Steve Green, the chief constable of Nottinghamshire, said last night that he felt "contempt and anger" for the two officers, both of whom have lost their jobs. He said he was angry that their "base and selfish behaviour" had damaged the reputation of the "fine, decent, hardworking, honourable people" who served with the Nottinghamshire police.
"We have been let down and, more importantly, the people we serve have been let down. Our integrity is our greatest asset ... We never flinched in our duty to investigate our suspicions and in prosecuting those who betrayed our trust. Despite the shadow that has been cast over this force, there is much to be proud of. I must pay tribute to the professional standards unit, whose diligent work has secured these convictions."
The assistant chief constable of Nottinghamshire, Ian Ackerley, said last night that the sentences would send a strong message to those in positions of trust. The force had suspected for some time that people within the organisation were feeding information to criminals and had set up a covert operation to discover the informants.
|
| |
 EiP Comments:
|
|---|
|
| |
* We have no wish to infringe the copyright of any newspaper or periodical. If you feel that we have done so then please contact us with the details and we will remove the article. The articles republished on this site are provided for the purposes of research , private study, criticism , review, and the reporting of current events' We have no wish to infringe the copyright of any newspaper , periodical or other works. If you feel that we have done so then please contact us with the details and where necessary we will remove the work concerned.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
 |
Ethics in Policing, based in the UK, provide information and advice about the following:
Policing Research | Police News articles | Police Corruption | International Policing | Police Web Sites | Police Forum | Policing Ethics | Police Journals | Police Publications |
|
| |
|
