Ex-Met cop jailed after swiping £1,500 of public money from police station safe to pay credit card bill
7 November 2022, 15:45
A former Met officer who stole £1,500 from a police station safe has been jailed for 10 months.
Bradley Francis, who was trying to pay off a credit card debt, was seen on CCTV spending a long time at the safe in Stoke Newington police station on April 12.
He tried to cover up what he was doing with a fleece, then locked the safe and left.
He had got the keys because he was putting £50 in, which a court heard was a "pretext" so he could get access.
The cash he swiped was public money that was part of an intent-to-supply probe.
Francis, 35, who quit as a police constable ahead of a his misconduct hearing, has lost his job, marriage and home over the theft.
His defence lawyer, John Greany, said Francis "had the decency to resign" and that he was a “well-regarded officer” of “previous good character”, and he was not trying to “live the high life” by carrying out the crime.
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Sentencing him at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, Judge Martin Griffith said no officer should think they are above the law.
"The public have to have confidence that the police will apply the law to themselves and not consider themselves above the law.
"The public should have absolute faith and trust in their police officers and that is quite right, I'm afraid you have let that down."
He added: "It is a great shame you threw away the career you loved, your good character, your marriage and all that because you chose a ridiculous way out [of] your financial affairs."
Francis, of Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire, admitted theft by employee and will have to pay back £1,500.
He paid of his £1,500 credit card bill inside of 30 minutes after the crime.
The judge said: "If only you hadn't had a matter of pride, that you were going to ask them (your family), and instead of which you were going to steal from a police safe where you found £1,500 - you wouldn't be standing here."
His father was willing to give him work at the family business after he leaves jail.