David Bunting, a Greater Manchester Police constable with more than 20 years' experience, attended the man's bungalow with paramedics because he was in 'a dire medical situation', a court was told.
His family had raised urgent concerns over his welfare and dialled 999.
And lo, a goodly servant of the state hove into view to save the day!
The footage, recorded on a CCTV system the victim had set up to watch over his living room, shows Bunting wearing blue gloves standing beside the victim as he's assessed by two paramedics.
He waits until the paramedics help the man up from a chair and walk him outside to an ambulance. Bunting, who has now been jailed, is then shown to calmly reach down to a coffee table and swipe the bag, which contained £70 in coins.
Oh.
He appeared at Preston Magistrates Court in March and pleaded guilty to one count of theft from a dwelling. Last month he was sentenced to three months in prison, but an appeal against the sentence was lodged immediately.
Wait, what?
But after hearing the facts and mitigation at Preston Crown Court, Judge Beverley Lunt, sitting with two magistrates, dismissed the appeal and Bunting is now serving the three month sentence.
Good grief! If you can't convince the Bleeding Heart of Bleeding Hearts, who can you convince?
The court heard Bunting, a police officer since 1998, was now facing the sack.
Wait, you mean, he hasn't already been given the sack? What was his defence, anyway?
Nicholas Walker, appearing for Bunting, said the offence would 'appal the policing community, as well as the community at large'. He argued the sentencing magistrates had put 'too much weight on sending out a message' and not enough on Bunting's background and mental health.
If he suffers from 'mental health issues', what the hell is he doing walking a beat? What sort of mental health issues, anyway?
The court heard the officer suffers from PTSD and a major depressive illness.
*stunned face*
Wonder if he had those issues before he was caught.
ReplyDeleteA £70 theft wouldn't normally make the news but because it's a rare event of a PC being the suspect....it does.
ReplyDeletePolice have been told not to arrest shoplifters who steal under £100 worth of goods. How strange.
Here comes Melvin with a Latin quote.
Jaded.
PS not defending this man in the slightest. He makes my job so much harder by doing this crime.
It must be really tough to have been caught with real evidence, because so often the evidence is simply fabricated, and has to be taken as truth because a second copper backs it up.
ReplyDeleteSome readers may be old enough to recall an era when plod was entrusted with the full details of our holiday schedules. Nowadays, you wouldn't trust the Filth to give you the right time.
ReplyDeleteIt's time you grew up Melvin.
ReplyDeleteJaded
"Here comes Melvin with a Latin quote." For someone who posted boasts of being 'educatid' on various blogs, WC Jaded is only consistent in parading an abysmal ignorance of grammar, spelling and language(s). So the following is for her information only:-
ReplyDeleteStruggling to yet master English, you remain ignorant that Latin is alive and oblivious to the fact that thousands of common English words are or were, Latin. Expressions and abbreviations are integral with modern English and an additional stock is used for the sake of brevity, clarity or often to cite a legal principle. To mistake this usage for pomposity is very sad.
Pompous postings of Latin (certainly out of place on this blog) would be examples of Plautus extracts or verses from The Aeneid. You know, the sort of classical 'edukayshun' which tears you apart with jealousy, dear.
"Wonder if he had those issues before he was caught."
ReplyDeleteMe too...
"...not defending this man in the slightest. He makes my job so much harder by doing this crime."
Indeed he does.