Jersey spends £750,000 on Curtis Warren trial security

The extra security used during the trial of drugs smuggler Curtis Warren has cost Jersey Police £750,000.

Senator Ian Le Marquand, Jersey's Home Affairs minister, told States members earlier the cost had come about due to the high security risk.

Armed officers were on duty during the trial and a prison van was used to take Warren to and from court.

Warren was jailed for 13 years in 2009, for plotting to smuggle cannabis with a street value of £1m into Jersey.

Car bugging

Senator Le Marquand also told the States £10,000 had been spent providing legal representation to three police officers who went through a disciplinary process, following criticism of how evidence was gathered in the case.

The inquiry, which was completed by Hampshire Police on Thursday, was triggered by Warren's unsuccessful appeal, in which he argued key evidence was obtained by the illegal bugging of a car.

Chief Insp David Minty, Sgt Lawrence Courtness and Det Insp Louis Beghin were cleared of any wrongdoing.

Senator Le Marquand said the allowance of the extra funding was exceptional and was "not a direction I want to go down in the future".