Police officer who threw away cocaine seized from suspected drug dealer and then made fake wraps containing sugar to cover his tracks is jailed for 12 months
- Daniel Jackson, who served with Suffolk Police, was called to help with incident
- He threw after three wraps of drugs and allowed suspect to keep £800 in cash
- Later said he could not be bothered to probe incident due to relationship issues
A police officer who threw away cocaine seized during a stop and search and then made fake wraps containing sugar to cover his tracks was today jailed for 12 months.
Daniel Jackson, who served with Suffolk Police, was called as back-up to help two more junior officers who were making an arrest in Newmarket last year.
The 28-year-old threw away three wraps of class A drugs that were seized from a stopped vehicle then filed a false report to say nothing had been recovered, Norwich Crown Court heard.
He later claimed that he could not be bothered to investigate the drugs offence because he had family problems which culminated in him being dumped by text by his girlfriend shortly before he searched the man.
Daniel Jackson, who served with Suffolk Police, was called as back-up to help two more junior officers who were making an arrest in Newmarket last year. He is seen outside court today
When other officers challenged him about the missing evidence months later, he falsified evidence – making fake drugs wraps using granulated sugar and logging them as an exhibit.
He admitted at earlier hearings to misconduct in a public office and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The court heard that Jackson, of Lakenheath, had received a text message from his partner breaking up with him before the incident.
Judge Caroline Goodwin told Jackson: ‘I accept that you had received a very distressing text from your partner and that may have coloured your approach but your conduct on this night was nothing short of disgraceful.
A mug shot of Jackson released today
‘There was an utter disregard for your role.’
The court heard how he was acting as a tutor to a junior officer when they were called to assist two other officers who had pulled over a car smelling of cannabis on the night of October 20 last year in Newmarket, Suffolk.
Prosecutor Lynne Shirley said the other less experienced officers suggested searching the three men, and he replied ‘Really’.
But he then agreed to look into the pockets of one of the men and found the wraps containing a white powder.
Jackson told the man that he would not be arrested and would be interviewed at a later date, even though another officer found £800 and other wraps.
When one of the men ran off and was chased by two of the officers, Jackson told them not to bother as they knew his address.
He went on to say that he did not think there was reason to seize the cash because it could not be linked to the drugs.
The 28-year-old threw away three wraps of class A drugs that were seized from a stopped vehicle then filed a false report to say nothing had been recovered. File pic
Miss Shirley said: ‘He was the most experienced officer on the scene and nobody else felt confident enough to intervene in relation to decisions made by him.’
At least one of the officers was said to be ‘frustrated and annoyed’ at Jackson’s behaviour and later challenged him about it.
But he lied by saying that that he had interviewed the suspect and the ‘matter had been resolved’ with a court date set.
In reality, the court heard that it appeared no action had been taken against the man searched by Jackson.
‘You simply failed to perform your duty that night,’ the judge said.
‘It beggars belief that you simply say now that you threw away those wraps of class A drugs.’
Jackson ‘effectively resigned’ from the force in July, the judge said.
She accepted it was not an instance of personal gain, adding: ‘This was a sequence of decisions you will now regret for the rest of your life.’
Jailing him for 12 months, she said: ‘Honesty and integrity (go) to the heart of policing.
‘Anything which undermines that very basic premise is to be discouraged.’