Policeman guilty of stealing from Bristol shop
A police officer who was meant to stop Bristol shop-lifters stole two computer games and ruined his career. Peter Cokell was permanently stationed at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway, and had an unblemished record as a PC, yet he was caught on CCTV in HMV committing the crime he had spent six years trying to stamp out.
The 34-year-old, from Wick, South Gloucestershire, was found guilty of theft by District Judge David Parsons after a three-day trial. Cokell picked PlayStation 3 games Call of Duty: World at War and Kill Zone 2 and hid them under his kevlar body armour before smuggling them out of the store on April 7.
At about 8.40pm that night, 20 minutes before the store was due to close, HMV's loss prevention officer at the time, Gary Sutton, noticed the officer browsing. As he had known Cokell professionally for several years, he recognised him straight away. But he appeared to be acting "suspiciously", looking up at a dome CCTV camera, so Mr Sutton continued to monitor him.
The footage, shown at Frome Magistrates on the final day of the trial, showed Cokell carry the two games in his police hat to a redundant Virgin Media desk at the back of the store.
He talked briefly to a security guard before apparently hiding the games worth £74.98 and walking out through the store's security barriers without the alarms going off.
After checking the desk for the games, Mr Sutton went to The Mall's police post to speak to Cokell.
"I then asked him where the games were, the two he had selected in the store," Mr Sutton told the court. "At first he replied he did not have them and that they were still in the store. "I replied that I had seen him on CCTV and that I needed the games back. At this point, he was leaning on the edge of a chair and he informed me that he had the games but could not get hold of them due to where they were now being locked up."
The court heard Cokell offered to return them two days later, but he later denied this in court. Mr Sutton also claimed Mr Cokell promised not to tell anyone if something similar happened to him. Cokell denied the allegations throughout, but District Judge David Parsons was convinced he was guilty.
He said: "I do know the games certainly left the site, having seen the evidence of the CCTV and the evidence of Mr Sutton."
Taking to the witness stand, Mr Cokell, who had joined the force in 2000 and been based at The Mall for six years, said he was "very angry" with the accusations. The court heard he had a very good arrest record and received a certificate of commendation last year from his district commander. He had recently been accepted for a transfer to Devon and Cornwall police. Cokell told the court he was simply browsing as he would often try to keep up-to-date with popular games to help him relate to young people. He said he took them to the back of the store to be more discreet.
He said he put them on the first shelf down and was trying to make his new trousers, which he had been issued that afternoon, more comfortable around his waist. He added: "I tried my best to be inconspicuous to the general members of the public so that they would not form the wrong impression of what I may or may not have been trying to do with my trousers. I had no reason to steal and no reason to steal PS3 games, as I don't have a PS3."
Cokell denied ever confessing to Mr Sutton and his barrister Jonathan Heard accused Mr Sutton of trying to frame him, because Cokell had been unable to give him a reference for a security job at Boots in the Mall. But District Judge Parsons said he found it "incredible and implausible" that Mr Sutton would do such a thing. He also took into account the fact that Cokell had changed his story first saying in interview he had left the games on a shelf, then telling the court he must have left them in the desk. The CCTV evidence showed neither was true.
An Avon and Somerset police spokesman said: "This is not behaviour we expect of a police officer. Mr Cokell resigned in June, when an investigation into this started, and the decision of the court shows how seriously the force views matters of this kind, particularly when it concerns a breach of trust."
Cokell, who was supported throughout the trial by his wife, will be sentenced on November 27.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=065yXoTs224&feature=player_embedded
A police officer who was meant to stop Bristol shop-lifters stole two computer games and ruined his career. Peter Cokell was permanently stationed at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway, and had an unblemished record as a PC, yet he was caught on CCTV in HMV committing the crime he had spent six years trying to stamp out.
The 34-year-old, from Wick, South Gloucestershire, was found guilty of theft by District Judge David Parsons after a three-day trial. Cokell picked PlayStation 3 games Call of Duty: World at War and Kill Zone 2 and hid them under his kevlar body armour before smuggling them out of the store on April 7.
At about 8.40pm that night, 20 minutes before the store was due to close, HMV's loss prevention officer at the time, Gary Sutton, noticed the officer browsing. As he had known Cokell professionally for several years, he recognised him straight away. But he appeared to be acting "suspiciously", looking up at a dome CCTV camera, so Mr Sutton continued to monitor him.
The footage, shown at Frome Magistrates on the final day of the trial, showed Cokell carry the two games in his police hat to a redundant Virgin Media desk at the back of the store.
He talked briefly to a security guard before apparently hiding the games worth £74.98 and walking out through the store's security barriers without the alarms going off.
After checking the desk for the games, Mr Sutton went to The Mall's police post to speak to Cokell.
"I then asked him where the games were, the two he had selected in the store," Mr Sutton told the court. "At first he replied he did not have them and that they were still in the store. "I replied that I had seen him on CCTV and that I needed the games back. At this point, he was leaning on the edge of a chair and he informed me that he had the games but could not get hold of them due to where they were now being locked up."
The court heard Cokell offered to return them two days later, but he later denied this in court. Mr Sutton also claimed Mr Cokell promised not to tell anyone if something similar happened to him. Cokell denied the allegations throughout, but District Judge David Parsons was convinced he was guilty.
He said: "I do know the games certainly left the site, having seen the evidence of the CCTV and the evidence of Mr Sutton."
Taking to the witness stand, Mr Cokell, who had joined the force in 2000 and been based at The Mall for six years, said he was "very angry" with the accusations. The court heard he had a very good arrest record and received a certificate of commendation last year from his district commander. He had recently been accepted for a transfer to Devon and Cornwall police. Cokell told the court he was simply browsing as he would often try to keep up-to-date with popular games to help him relate to young people. He said he took them to the back of the store to be more discreet.
He said he put them on the first shelf down and was trying to make his new trousers, which he had been issued that afternoon, more comfortable around his waist. He added: "I tried my best to be inconspicuous to the general members of the public so that they would not form the wrong impression of what I may or may not have been trying to do with my trousers. I had no reason to steal and no reason to steal PS3 games, as I don't have a PS3."
Cokell denied ever confessing to Mr Sutton and his barrister Jonathan Heard accused Mr Sutton of trying to frame him, because Cokell had been unable to give him a reference for a security job at Boots in the Mall. But District Judge Parsons said he found it "incredible and implausible" that Mr Sutton would do such a thing. He also took into account the fact that Cokell had changed his story first saying in interview he had left the games on a shelf, then telling the court he must have left them in the desk. The CCTV evidence showed neither was true.
An Avon and Somerset police spokesman said: "This is not behaviour we expect of a police officer. Mr Cokell resigned in June, when an investigation into this started, and the decision of the court shows how seriously the force views matters of this kind, particularly when it concerns a breach of trust."
Cokell, who was supported throughout the trial by his wife, will be sentenced on November 27.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=065yXoTs224&feature=player_embedded
