A former Merseyside police officer accused of being the “inside man” in a plot to burgle cannabis farms admitted lying to help out a suspected drug dealer.
Ex-PC Barry Parkinson, 45, is alleged to have sold sensitive intelligence from force databases to underworld associates to keep them “one step ahead”.
The dad-of-two is also accused of passing on the addresses of suspected cannabis farms to criminals as part of a conspiracy to break in and steal the drugs.
He denies misconduct in a public office, conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to supply cannabis between January 1 and June 27, 2014.
Parkinson, of Beechburn Crescent, Page Moss, told Liverpool Crown Court today that he did not know of any conspiracy.
Under questioning by his representative Trevor Parry-Jones, he also denied having any role in providing information about potential addresses to target.
However, Parkinson accepted that he agreed to help fellow Liverpool FC fan Robert Gerrard Sloan, 44 – who prosecutors say “dealt cocaine by the kilo” – with some problems.
He said Sloan told him he no longer wanted to work as a bouncer and bailiff but as a taxi driver instead “for an easier life”, but was being chasing for debts.
Parkinson said: “I came up with a plan. I said to him ‘to keep people away and get out of this sort of work, why not say you have had money seized and been up for money laundering?’
“Most criminals know if you lose something and you’ve lost money, you’re given a leeway by other criminals and that they won’t chase you for that money.
“I told Robbie ‘just say you’ve had your money seized for money laundering and people will leave you alone’.”
Parkinson said he did not think Sloan was a criminal, adding: “I didn’t believe he had ever been in trouble with the police”.
But he admitted creating a file on a work database saying that Sloan’s car had been stopped – using the name of an officer based in St Helens – despite the fact this never happened.
He went on to write that cash in Sloan’s car boot was seized because it was unaccounted for and that his pal was arrested on suspicion of money laundering.
Mr Parry-Jones said: “Was the content of that document true?”
“No,” he replied.
Parkinson was part of a team dealing with sensitive police intelligence on an electronic system known as Niche, covering F Division.
Prosecutors say he sold information to Sloan about suspected cannabis farms.
They say Sloan passed addresses to another alleged drug dealer, David Gould, who in turn told an associate called Shaun Blackburn to burgle them.
Parkinson – who says he was friends with Gould but had never heard of Blackburn – told the jury it was his job to go through daily report sheets.
Mr Parry-Jones said: “Were you specifically keeping an eye out for premises being used for the growing of cannabis?”
He replied: “In relation to the F Division, I would keep a general look out for everything but we would look at cannabis farms – that was part of our role.”
Parkinson said he also looked at reports for other neighbouring divisions, despite it not being a regular duty, because he wanted “to keep abreast of what was going on”.
Sloan, of Steeple View, Kirkby; Gould, 52, of Grange Avenue, West Derby; and Blackburn, 30, of Kenbury Road, Kirkby; all deny conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to supply cannabis.
Sloan has pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office.
David Nuttall, 44, of Bonnington Close, St Helens, denies conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.
He has already pleaded guilty to production of cannabis and abstracting electricity.
(Proceeding)
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/