Bogus cop lands in court

A man who pretended to be a senior policeman for almost eight years has had his day in court.

James Butler, 40, from Glengormley near Belfast, had amassed a hundred of items of police gear and sometimes dressed as a policeman while carrying a replica sub-machinegun.

He collected a huge police wardrobe which also included a superintendent's hat, a riot suit and helmet, and a flak jacket.

When he appeared before Ballymena Magistrate's Court on Thursday, he admitted 18 specimen charges including impersonation of an officer and theft.

Butler, from Glen Craig Heights in Glengormley, was sentenced to 240 hours community service.

The court was told he had been pretending to be a policeman since 1995. His job as a civilian contracted to deal with asbestos on police premises gave him access to police stations and police property.

The court also heard that on one occasion, Butler contacted Coleraine police station requesting back-up to catch a drunk driver he was tailing and continued the pursuit until the driver was finally apprehended.

Suspicious

Butler was finally rumbled as he was taking a statement about a robbery at a filling station just 100 yards from Ballymena's police base.

Staff became suspicious that he wasn't really an officer of the law and contacted the real police.

When his home and caravan were searched his hoard of police equipment was uncovered.

When initially questioned, Butler denied the charges but later admitted the theft and deceit.

No firearm charges were pressed because the imitation gun had merely been used as a costume prop.

Defence lawyer Chris Sherrard said Butler wished to express deep regret for his "foolish" involvement in the offences which were "totally out of character".

He added "no malice" was intended after he had taken "a foolish risk" to parading in the uniforms he'd obtained as part of his job, which he had now lost.

Resident magistrate Richard Wilson said Butler had started off his bogus police identity to impress but had ended up in deeper, with a catalogues of stolen items.

Sentencing him, he said he hoped Butler's subsequent loss of job and embarrassment about his activities would also serve as a deterrent.