Detective jailed for drugs dealing

Eric Donaldson was fuelling a growing cocaine habit

A detective who offered drugs to undercover colleagues has been jailed for five years for a string of cocaine deals.

Eric Donaldson, who was dismissed by the Metropolitan Police a week ago, fronted a "highly organised" drugs supply operation, London's Southwark Crown Court heard.

Civilians Huw McArtney and Stephen Mathieson, who helped the detective sell the class A narcotic, were each jailed for four years.

Sentencing, Judge Peter Fingret told Donaldson: "You did a gross disservice to your fellow officers."

Cocaine habit

The court heard that Donaldson, 40, of Ruislip, Middlesex, offered drugs to undercover officers at the Middlesex Arms pub in Ruislip.

During a series of test purchases, the officer with 21 years' service and a growing cocaine habit, traded wraps of the drug for £45 a time.

At one point, he told those secretly gathering evidence against him: "If you like it, I am your man.

"If you want anything, then come and see me."

When asked what he meant, the father-of-two replied: "Pills, Viagra, puff, chang, whizz or brass [prostitutes]."

'Breach of trust'

Donaldson pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying cocaine last May, one of being concerned in its supply and one of simply possessing the drug.

McArtney, a 43-year-old toolmaker from Ruislip, Middlesex, admitted one count of supplying cocaine, two of possession with intent to supply and two of possession.

Mathieson, 34, a manufacturing company quality controller, pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying the drug and one of being concerned in its supply.

Judge Fingret told Donaldson that his activities amounted to a "clear breach of trust".

'Public faith'

"It may be you separated your drug dealing from your police activities, but you were under a strict duty to uphold the law.

"The damage that you and those very, very few officers who stoop to crime do, as far as the public faith in the police is concerned, is considerable."

The judge said Donaldson and his co-defendants were "all in it together on an equal footing".

"Each played an essential role in this iniquitous trade, whether it was in the purchasing, packaging, transport or dealing in the drugs."

"No doubt it would have continued but for the expertise and, indeed, bravery of undercover officers who were no doubt greatly embarrassed at the prospect of dealing with one of their brother officers."