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Cops 'took prisoner for drinks'
06/06/2007 20:50 - (SA)
London - Two Merseyside detectives have lost their jobs for taking a prolific offender out of jail and buying him drinks in an attempt to clear up unsolved crimes, police said on Wednesday.
The prisoner was also taken out to visit his girlfriend.
Mike Franklin, commissioner for the Independent Police Complaints Commission, North West, said: "Taking a criminal on a domestic visit or buying him alcohol whilst driving him round in the belief that he will admit to unsolved crimes can only be perceived as an inducement."
There was also evidence to suggest that the long-serving detective constables "may have primed the criminal to admit to offences that they had reason to believe he had not committed", he added in a statement.
The unnamed officers, who had 45 years service between them, were forced to quit after being found to have breached procedures at a disciplinary hearing in relation to honesty and integrity and general conduct.
They had faced charges relating to six occasions when the offender, imprisoned for car crimes, was taken out between July 2004 and March 2005.
One detective, who faced nine charges, admitted three, while a further four were proven. Two other charges were not proven.
The second officer faced six charges. He admitted one, three were proven and two were not.
A third officer was fined for allowing the unauthorised visit to the criminal's girlfriend without challenging the officer involved.
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