A former Met officer has been jailed for 10 months for stealing £1,500 from a safe at an east London police station to pay a credit card debt.

Bradley Francis, 35, resigned as a PC after his theft from the safe at Stoke Newington police station was discovered.

Judge Martin Griffith, sentencing at London’s Southwark Crown Court, told him that no officer should “consider themselves above the law”.

Francis had lost his career, marriage and home for a “ridiculous” theft at a time when his family would have stepped in to help him pay a credit card debt.

“The public have to have confidence that the police will apply the law to themselves and not consider themselves above the law.

“The public should have absolute faith and trust in their police officers and that is quite right, I’m afraid you have let that down.”

He added: “It is a great shame you threw away the career you loved, your good character, your marriage and all that because you chose a ridiculous way out (of) your financial affairs.”

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Francis, of Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, had pleaded guilty to theft by employee after stealing approximately £1,500 on 12 April while he was a serving officer.

The cash was public money which was part of an ongoing intent-to-supply investigation.

Within 30 minutes of the theft Francis had paid off a £1,500 credit card bill.

The judge told Francis that his “pride” had stopped him from asking for help from his father.

The judge said: “If only you hadn’t had a matter of pride, that you were going to ask them (your family), and instead of which you were going to steal from a police safe where you found £1,500 – you wouldn’t be standing here.”

Francis, who has no previous convictions, was ordered to pay £1,500 compensation.

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