Police officer loses jail term appeal

A POLICE officer jailed after becoming a heroin addict while working undercover has failed to convince top judges his sentence should be cut.

Greater Manchester policeman Robert Carroll (41) traded stolen police gear — CS spray and a baton — for heroin and drove a police car to a dealer’s home after twice sneaking off his shift at Oldham Police Station.

The father of two, from Holmfirth, was jailed for 14 months at Manchester Crown Court in February, after admiting theft and misconduct.

Yesterday, two senior judges at London’s Appeal Court rejected his sentence challenge, saying the case was “sad” but warranted tough punishment.

Mr Justice Jeremy Baker said Carroll did “valuable work” as an undercover purchaser for almost three years. But he was “exposed to heroin” during the work and became hooked on the drug in 2009, before asking the charity Lifeline for help.

His bid to break his addiction failed. When police raided his home in 2012 they found messages to and from a drug deler on his phone.

Mark Aldred, for Carroll, argued the judge wrongly concluded Carroll didn’t try to kick heroin, took too high a starting point and failed to give sufficient credit to his mitigation. He said Carroll had 13 years of exemplary service and insisted the sentence had been too harsh.

Mr Justice Baker said Carroll didn’t take up the charity’s offer of counselling and returned to his habit.

The appeal judges said Carroll had not done all he could to break his habit.