A decorated veteran Metropolitan Police officer who pinched money from the wallet of a dead man has been sent to prison.
Shameless former PC Craig Carter stole around £115 in cash from filmmaker Claudio Gaetani after being handed his possessions while helping preserve the scene following the victim’s sudden death.
Mr Gaetani, 45, was said to have suffered a heart attack while cycling to meet friends in Hornsey, north London, two years ago.
But Carter, 51, who was part of the local ‘safer neighbourhood team’ and received a Borough Commander’s commendation for saving a man’s life following a machete attack, instead helped himself to the victim’s cash, only declaring to police that ‘around £6 and six euro’ was in Mr Gaetani’s possession at the time.
Wood Green Crown Court in north London heard Carter sought to blame colleagues after suspicions were raised days later, saying he did not search Mr Gaetani’s body and only looked through the wallet when it was handed to him to put in the…