Sunday 16 November 2008

Criminal cops

I found this case intriguing:

A jury at Bolton Crown Court was told PC Myerscough was travelling "considerably in excess" of the 30mph speed limit and had overtaken two other cars before the crash. Prosecutors said the motorcycle, a 998cc R1 Yamaha sports bike, held no road tax and had a slack chain. It had also been fitted with an illegal exhaust to make its engine sound louder, the court heard.

This lawless road tax dodging crooked speeding killer cop did not lose a day’s pay and was welcomed back into his force. In a statement, Greater Manchester Police said the officer had been on sick leave since the crash and not suspended from duty. "He will now be subject to internal disciplinary proceedings," a spokesperson said.

And now I discover why:

Dozens of officers at a single force are patrolling the streets despite convictions for gun crimes, actual bodily harm, theft and other offences. Many of the crimes took place while the officers were in post, raising concerns about a fall in police standards. Last night MPs questioned whether courts could trust evidence from officers with serious convictions, and condemned the "deeply unfair" policies that allowed the officers to keep their jobs.Government rules allow for police officers to keep their jobs – instead receiving lesser punishments such as fines, reprimands or demotions – after being convicted of offences that would cause civilian staff to be sacked.