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From 'very highest standards' to a dramatic fall from grace for commended detective.

Jailed:  Hertfordshire Constabulary�s detective sergeant has been jailed for 20 months

Date - 30th August 2019
By - Ceysun Dixon 

2 Comments

 

An officer commended for his work on a high-profile murder inquiry has been jailed for 20 months after stealing more than £9,000 from a safe in a major crime unit shared by three forces.

Detective Sergeant David Sharpe was convicted of two counts of theft by employee at Cambridge Crown Court after admitting to taking £9,080 from exhibits storage in March.

The 40-year-old took sums of £4,490 and £4,590 from a safe belonging to the major crime unit shared between Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Police between December 18, 2018 and March 19, 2019.

In addition to his sentence, he has been ordered by the court to pay back £8,961.09 of the stolen cash.

DS Sharpe was voluntarily interviewed by his force’s professional standards department after the money went missing, where he admitted to a “snap decision” in taking the money and had planned on paying it back before “anyone had noticed it was missing”.

He was suspended from his post while an investigation was launched.

Hertfordshire Constabulary said it “deeply disappointed” in the actions and conduct of its officer.

Temporary Deputy Chief Constable Jackie Sebire, speaking after sentencing, said: “DS Sharpe was entrusted to complete his job with the utmost professionalism and integrity. His actions go against everything policing stands for. 

 

“Although he eventually admitted to taking the money, there were a few days in which he kept quiet, which put his colleagues under unfair suspicion. 

 

“We work hard to maintain trust and confidence among our communities and when that trust is broken by one individual, it makes all of our jobs a lot more difficult.”

The deputy chief hoped the length of the sentence would send a “clear message” to other officers of “how seriously we take these matters”.

The case concludes a fall from grace for the sergeant – once the inquiry team leader working on the murder of children’s author Helen Bailey, whose body was found in July 2016 in a cesspit in a home in Royston, Hertfordshire.

Her partner, Ian Stewart, was convicted of murder and jailed for a minimum of 34 years in February 2017.

DS Sharpe received a commendation for the “very highest standards” of detective work demonstrated in his role in solving Ms Bailey’s murder.

The force said the jailed detective remains suspended from duty and misconduct proceedings “will continue”.

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Jesus Christ. What on earth goes through people’s heads.