Alleged drug dealer dropped bags of cocaine at school

A police officer's drug dealing was uncovered when he accidentally dropped a bag of cocaine outside his daughter's primary school, a court heard.

Andrew Talbot of Greater Manchester Police was arrested on February 17, 2020, four days after the incident was recorded by the Wigan school's CCTV cameras.

The 54-year-old is accused of stealing four kilograms of cocaine from a police evidence depot and then illegally accessing data to search for drug dealers in his area.

Talbot, who has since been suspended, denies allegations of cocaine trafficking, abuse of office by accessing GMP intelligence information and refusing to comply with subsequent police investigations.

Prosecutor James Lake told Liverpool Crown Court: “The inescapable and reasonable conclusion is that he was looking for a place to sell the cocaine he stole.”

He said although Mr Talbot denied supplying the cocaine, he admitted stealing it and accessing the computer system to search for known or suspected drug dealers in his area.

He also admitted conspiring with convicted drug dealer Keith Bretherton by using his position as a police officer to help him collect a drug debt.

The prosecutor said Talbot also pleaded guilty to accessing police computer systems to provide information to a close friend who was being investigated for assault.

However, Mr Talbot denies supplying cocaine to another person between 13 February 2018 and 21 January 2020.

He also denies committing an abuse of office by accessing intelligence information on known or suspected drug dealers in the Greater Manchester area between May 2018 and February 2020.

Mr Lake stated that although he had consented to the search of the computer systems, he denied having done so for the purposes of procuring goods and that he was not guilty of any wrongdoing.

The third offence, which he denies, is failure to comply with a direction under the Regulation Investigatory Powers Act. Mr Lake explained that this involved Mr Talbot's failure to provide the investigation team with the correct PIN number for his phone.

Mr Lake told the court that at the time of Talbot's suspension he was working in the serious crime unit at Nexus House.

After the drug package was found and his workplace was searched, the investigation began, and officers found more cocaine on him and in his car, the court heard.

“It was clearly cocaine that he had stolen from the GMP property store,” Lake said.

“The cocaine seized during these operations was re-weighed by the forensic service and almost four kilograms – 3.943 kg – were missing from the corresponding evidence bags.

“Four kilograms of cocaine is far too much for personal use, even for a user like he was.”

Mr Lake claimed that Mr Talbot had “an unhealthy and criminal relationship with Keith Bretherton” and that he was one of his outlets for the stolen cocaine.

When questioned in February 2020, the officer said he had been using cocaine since 2012 and had taken the drugs to work because he did not want to leave them at home with his children.

He said he would buy an ounce at a time for £800.

The process continues.