A serving police officer who stole money from a dead man’s wallet has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for trying to cover up the theft.
Paul Wallace, 47, a PC with Humberside Police, was assigned the role of liaison officer to the family of Paul Rutter, who died suddenly in June 2015.
Prosecuting officer, Jonathan Sandiford, told the court that Wallace attended the sudden accidental death at Mr Rutter’s property in Leconfield, East Yorkshire.
He helped search the house, and took possession of a number of items, including a brown wallet, which contained £65.
In the days following the incident, Wallace returned the wallet to Mr Rutter’s partner, who later complained to the Professional Standards Department when she found it empty.
The next month he was informed by email that a complaint had been made, and withdrew £50 from a cash machine near to the police station, half an hour after receiving the message.
Wallace then placed cash into an evidence bag, marking it with the same exhibit number as the wallet, and put it into the property store before asking another officer to help him search for the missing money.
He then amended his police pocket notebook by adding notes about the money being separated from the wallet.
Wallace, of Willowdale, Hull, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice at an earlier hearing and was sentenced at Grimsby Crown Court.
The court was told that the officer had no previous convictions, but had received a final written warning in 2010 for breaching police conduct regulations by forging the signature of a witness on a statement.
Judge John Thackray QC told Wallace that when a crime is committed by a police office, ‘the offence is particularly serious.’
He said: ‘A prison sentence is nearly always required to mark the affront to our justice system, when a person has committed the offence of perverting the course of justice. In this case, there was an element of persistence and obvious planning.’
The judge continued: ‘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.’
Wallace showed no emotion as he was sentenced and led from the dock in handcuffs.
Mr Sandiford, prosecuting, said ‘the defendant’s actions had affected Mr Rutter’s partner by making her relive the events surrounding his death and had shattered her faith and trust in the police and other people’.
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