Corrupt police officer who stole 4kg of cocaine was caught after he accidentally dropped drug wrap at daughter’s primary school, court hears

A police officer accused of stealing almost four kilos of cocaine from his own force has been arrested after accidentally dropping a wrap of drugs in the grounds of his daughter’s primary school, a Liverpool Crown Court has heard.

Footage from the school’s CCTV system today showed the small bag falling from the back pocket of PC Andrew Talbot in 2020. The bag was later seized by his employer, Greater Manchester Police.

The 54-year-old father of two faces 13 charges including stealing 3.9kg of cocaine from Greater Manchester Police’s serious crime unit between April 2017 and January 2020.

Prosecutor James Lake told the jury today that Talbot admitted stealing the cocaine and accessing the computer system to search for known or suspected drug dealers in his area.

He also admitted conspiring with a convicted drug dealer to misconduct himself by abusing his position as a GMP officer to help him collect a drugs debt.

The former police officer also admitted accessing GMP’s computer systems to provide information to a close friend who was being investigated for assault.

During an interrogation in February 2020, the suspect stated that he had been using cocaine since 2012 and that he took the drugs to work because he did not want to leave them at home where his children were.

However, Talbot denies that he committed misconduct in public office by accessing intelligence information from GMP about known or suspected drug dealers in the Greater Manchester area between May 2018 and 7 February 2020.

Mr Lake explained that while he admitted searching the computer systems, he denies doing so for the purpose of supply and that he has not been guilty of misconduct.

He also denies that he failed to comply with a notice under the Regulation Investigatory Powers Act. According to Lake, this notice concerned Talbot’s failure to give the investigating team the correct PIN code for his phone.

Mr Lake told the court that at the time of Talbot’s suspension he was working in the Serious Crimes Unit at Nexus House.

A police investigation revealed that “he had committed criminal misconduct in his role as a police officer. He routinely and brazenly abused the trust placed in him by the public,” he alleged.

After the investigation began in early 2020, after the drug paperwork was found, he was frisked at work and more cocaine was found on him and in his car.

Drug paraphernalia was also found in his home, along with bags containing traces of cocaine.

‘After the cocaine was found at work, officers investigated his access to the shop at Nexus House and his specific interest in large quantities of cocaine seized during two police investigations, Operation Gamber and Cosmetic.

‘The cocaine seized during those operations was re-weighed by the Forensic Service and almost four kilograms – 3.943kg – was missing from the relevant evidence.

“The prosecution argues that four kilos of cocaine is far too much for personal use, even for someone who was a user, which he was.”

When his mobile phone’s memory card was examined, its contents revealed the involvement of drug dealer Keith Bretherton.

Investigations revealed he had repeatedly accessed police systems to find a man who owed Mr Bretherton money for drugs.

Mr Bretherton used the information to visit the man, who had moved from Manchester to Dorset, to enforce the debt. Talbot posed as a police officer responsible for a false investigation into the man ‘to encourage and intimidate’ him into paying back £20,000.

Talbot had also accessed the police computer system Opus to alert a friend to an investigation into an attack at Lock Bar in which he was a suspect, and gave him the victim’s address, Lake alleged.

Photographs of the cocaine seized during Operation Cosmetic were found on his mobile phone. Mr Lake claimed he took these photos to show potential buyers how much cocaine he had at his disposal.

Mr Lake alleged that Talbot had ‘an unhealthy and criminal relationship with Keith Bretherton’ and that he was one of his conduits for the stolen cocaine.

The defendant had previously said he had been using cocaine since 2012 and stated he took the drugs to work because he didn’t want to leave them at home where his children were. He said he bought an ounce at a time for £800.

The process continues.