A VILE police officer has been jailed for stealing cash from a dead actor’s wallet when he suffered a heart attack while cycling.
Craig Carter took £115 from Italian filmmaker Claudio Gaetani after the 45-year-old collapsed in the street.
The Metropolitan Police officer, 51, swiped the cash from his wallet while it was “in evidence”.
Carter has now been jailed for 16 months after he admitted misconduct in public office.
Judge Kalyani Kaul KC described Carter’s career, noted that he has raised two daughters and has a “strong” marriage with his wife who he cares for.
But she added: “On the 7th of September, two years ago, you threw all of that away – you let down your force, you let down your community”.
The cop had attended the scene on September 8, 2022, following Claudio’s sudden death.
He collected the actor’s property – including his wallet – and it was put into evidence.
After Claudio’s death was found to be non-suspicious, his family went to pick up his belongings and discovered money was missing.
The Directorate of Professional Standards launched an investigation and trawled through bodycam footage from the tragedy.
It showed Carter counting out around £100 but when the wallet was returned, just £6 and a handful of Euros were left inside.
The officer, who worked for the Met’s North Area Command Unit which covers Enfield and Haringey, was suspended from duty following his actions.
He was dismissed following an accelerated misconduct hearing on August 15.
Tetteh Turkson, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The vast majority of police officers are viewed by members of the public as trustworthy, responsible and upstanding members of our society. Carter fell woefully short of these expectations.
“The fact Carter thought he could freely steal from a victim who had sadly passed away is not only disturbing, but deeply disrespectful to the victim’s family. Our thoughts remain with them at this time.
“After collaborative work from the CPS and Metropolitan Police Service, Carter was left with no option but to plead guilty and face the consequences of his actions.”
