Cornwall policeman who took dead person's cash is sacked

Police bosses said the officer's actions "undermined" trust

A police officer who took more than £100 from a dead person's house has been sacked for gross misconduct.

The unnamed officer "removed £105 for safekeeping", said Devon and Cornwall Police after a disciplinary hearing.

"However, he later treated this money as his own" and only returned it after "a considerable delay", said the force.

The disciplinary panel said he had breached standards of behaviour concerning honesty and integrity, and dismissed him without notice.

Colleague 'misled'

The officer, who was granted anonymity, was also barred from policing after the two-day private hearing on 28 July, said the force.

It said in a statement after the hearing that, in June 2018, the officer "attended an address in Cornwall" where a person had died.

"In the normal course of his duties, he removed £105 cash for safekeeping. However, he later treated this money as his own," it said.

"The officer failed to properly secure the potential exhibit and the cash was later removed from its approved place of storage.

"A fellow officer was misled as to the whereabouts of the money and there was a considerable delay before it was returned."

Det Supt Paul Kessell, the force's head of professional standards, said after the case that the officer had "undermined" the trust of the public and the police.

"His actions fell below the standards of behaviour that we all expect from a police officer, and this type of behaviour will not be tolerated," he said.