Jail for drug dealing policeman
A police officer who admitted dealing cocaine while on secondment to his force’s drugs unit has been jailed for 26 months.
Christopher McGinn was caught with the drug in a pub car park by Lothian and Borders Police colleagues last October.
He was suspended from duty before resigning from the force.
The 29-year-old was told by Sheriff Roderick MacLeod at Edinburgh Sheriff Court that only a custodial sentence was appropriate.
Sheriff MacLeod told McGinn: “As a serving police officer at the time you were duty-bound to uphold society’s values rather than subverting them.”
McGinn had pled guilty previously to being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug at the Ship Inn, High Street, Mussleburgh, East Lothian, between 4 October 2007 and 4 October 2008 and attempting to pervert the course of justice by asking two officers to dispose of cocaine he had in his possession.
McGinn, who has since moved to Midlothian, also pled guilty to 12 charges of accessing the Scottish Intelligence Database without a valid or lawful reason between 12 November 2007 and 3 June 2008.
The force’s professional standards unit got information that he was involved in the supply of controlled drugs and was himself using drugs.
On 4 October 2008, a tip-off was received that McGinn was looking to source drugs from an associate that afternoon at the Ship Inn.
Two officers in the pub’s car park saw McGinn in the front seat of a Saab car. Another man was in the driver’s seat.
The officers approached the car and asked McGinn to get out. As he was being handcuffed, he pleaded: “I’m a cop. I’m a cop. Lose it for me. Lose it for me please.”
McGinn was found to be in possession of two bags of cocaine worth about £150 and about £200 in cash.
A search of McGinn’s former home in Prestonpans uncovered various items, including scales, which were contaminated with the drug.
The steering wheel, glove compartment and consol of his car were also contaminated with cocaine.
McGinn denied supplying drugs for money, saying he shared them with friends.
Defence agent David O’Hagan stressed that the offence had been at the lower end of the scale and that McGinn had made no financial gain.
McGinn, he added, had brought shame on the force and apologised for his behaviour.
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