A police officer was arrested and has been jailed after stealing $85 from a dead man’s wallet while the family was grieving.
47-year-old police constable Paul Wallace of Humberside Police will spend 15 months in prison after he was caught trying to cover up his theft.
According to the reports, Wallace was assigned the role of a liaison after a family’s member suddenly died back in 2015.
During the inspection of their home, the constable took possession of several items, including a wallet, which belonged to the deceased man.
After the possessions were returned to the family, the victim’s partner realized the money that was previously in the wallet was missing.
Despite attempting to cover up the theft by placing the amount of stolen money into a new evidence bag and putting it in the property store on the basis that he filed the money separately from the wallet, the authorities found Wallace carefully planned the theft all along.
Sentencing the 47-year-old to 15 months in prison, Judge John Thackray said:
“A prison sentence is nearly always required to mark the affront to our justice system when a person has committed the offense of perverting the course of justice.
“When committed by a police officer, the offense is particularly serious. In this case, there was an element of persistence and obvious planning.
“I am urged to consider here suspending the inevitable custodial sentence. I accept your risk of re-offending could be managed within the community, I accept you could be rehabilitated in the community, I accept an immediate custodial sentence will have a catastrophic effect on you and your family.
“But I am afraid, Mr. Wallace, only appropriate punishment can be achieved with an immediate custodial sentence.”
During the sentencing, Wallace showed little to no remorse.
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