A former police officer who stole cocaine from his workplace to sell on the streets of Manchester has been sentenced to 19 years in prison.
Detective Andrew Talbot, from Greater Manchester Police’s Serious Crime Unit, was convicted last month of abuse of office and trafficking in class A drugs.
The 54-year-old stole around 4kg of cocaine – with a street value of £400,000 – from an evidence locker and used the police system to search for dealers who might help him sell the drugs, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
He was caught after accidentally dropping a packet of cocaine outside his daughter’s school.
Talbot, of Leigh, Greater Manchester, supplied the drug between 2018 and 2020.
He had previously admitted several other charges, including possession of cocaine, possession of ammunition without a firearms licence, theft of cocaine and unauthorised access to computer material.
Talbot will be dismissed from GMP in August 2024, which the police said was the earliest legal opportunity possible.
Speaking after the sentence, Jennifer Adams, from GMP’s anti-corruption unit, said this was “one of the most shocking cases of corruption her team has uncovered”.
“There is no place in the police force for Talbot or anyone like him who cannot be trusted to uphold the law and keep our streets safe,” she said.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to root out those who are unfit to represent the thousands of hard-working public servants who serve the people of Greater Manchester.”
“He broke his oath to serve the public and became a criminal instead.”