#corruptcop

During my first year of university, I decided to go to Cardiff Crown Court to try and find a story for our weekly ‘news day’. I ended up at a fascinating court case, and I was the only journalist in court. I followed the story and attended the sentencing of the police officer. Edited versions of this story appeared in The Sun, The Daily Mirror, The Telegraph, Western Mail and on the front page of the South Wales Echo – not bad for a first year student!

A corrupt cop who leaked secret information about a massive undercover drugs probe has been jailed for 15 months.

Detective Constable Matthew Reed, 32, pleaded guilty at Cardiff Crown Court to four charges of misconduct in public office, after he was caught passing on vital information on a huge heroin investigation.

The leaked information on secret drugs investigation ‘Operation Jackson’, may have caused a man under surveillance by police to flee the country.

In a statement issued by South Wales Police ACC Nick Croft said, “Matthew Reed’s conduct was totally unacceptable; he has badly let down the public that he served and his colleagues who will no doubt be embarrassed and even angered by his corrupt actions which led to his prosecution.”

His Honour Judge David Wynn Morgan slammed Reed for his “gross breach of trust”. He said: “Police officers who break the law go to prison, they are to be treated no differently. As a former and now disgraced police officer, prison will be a more unpleasant experience than for most first time offenders”.

Reed leaves behind his new born baby and wife to serve his time in jail. He admitted passing on the information to his friend Neil John Lewis, who then tipped off Ritesh Patel, telling him he was under police surveillance.

Prosecutor Tom Crowther told the court: “the prosecution cannot confirm that the information Reed passed to Mr Lewis caused Patel’s flight to Ibiza”. But Operation Jackson was suspended soon after he left the country.

The judge told the court: “Any detective constable will know that surveillance operations are very expensive”. It is not known exactly how much public money was spent on operation Jackson.

Police were also investigating another heroin operation connected to Patel, called ‘Operation Texas’ which admitted 60 kilos of heroin into the South Wales area. Operation Jackson and Texas combined saw police seize around 23 kilos of heroin, with a street value of £2.3million.

Reed said he would not have passed on this information to Lewis had he have known he was connected with Patel, but the judge said, “You did not query why he wanted the information or what he intended to do with it”

Croft from South Wales Police said, “The professionalism of staff is of the upmost importance to South Wales Police, and as a workforce we are proud that the overwhelming majority of our staff act with admirable integrity both on and off duty.