Detective caught stealing £400,000 worth of drugs from police shop after mistake outside daughter’s school

A detective who stole drugs with a retail value of almost £400,000 from police stores was arrested after dropping a bag of cocaine outside his daughter’s school, a court heard.

Andrew Talbot, 54, formerly a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) detective, conspired with Keith Bretherton, 50, a convicted drug dealer, to sell the stolen drug, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Jailing him for 19 years on Friday, 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 Greater Manchester Police officers, many of whom were your peers.

“As a result of your addiction and greed, a significant amount of this cocaine was put back into circulation.

“You misled your colleagues and betrayed the trust placed in you by them and the community.”

The investigation into Talbot, by GMP’s anti-corruption unit, began in February 2020 after he dropped a small bag of cocaine outside his daughter’s primary school.

James Lake, prosecuting, said: “Staff members were made aware that a bag of white powder had been found in the path. When the school looked on nearby circuit television, they saw that it was Andrew Talbot who had left drop the bag

“Not surprisingly, given that they knew he was a police officer, they contacted the police.”

No cocaine

When Talbot was arrested after arriving 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 that had a lesser purity, according to the court.

Bags and a piece of paper with exhibit references for Operation Cosmetic, which investigated the domestic supply of cocaine, were found in his car and three bullets were found at his home in Leigh, Greater Manchester.

When officers checked the drugs that had been seized as part of Operation Cosmetic and another investigation they found that just under 4kg of cocaine was missing.

Mr Lake said: “He agreed that when he attended the property shop he would carry pockets, 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 several searches of GMP’s confidential computer systems for known or suspected drug dealers in his area.

£20,000 drug debt

The judge said: “While it is not clear how Andrew Talbot disposed of the stolen cocaine, I have no doubt that he sold it to criminals who in turn cut it up 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: “I had a long-standing addiction to cocaine at the time.”

The court heard that Talbot had served in the police for 20 years and had spent three years in the Armed Forces. However, Talbot had become addicted to cocaine following difficulties in his personal life and his role in an operation in which armed police shot dead Anthony Grainger in Culcheth, Cheshire.

Talbot was found guilty after a trial of supplying a Class A controlled drug, misconduct in a public office and failing to provide his phone password.

He 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, another offense of misconduct in a public charge and unauthorized access to computer material.

Bretherton, also from Leigh, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis, possession of cocaine with intent to supply and conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office and was jailed for eight-and-a-half years.