Card misuse officer spared jail

Last year the Met withdrew 1,400 force credit cards

A former Metropolitan Police officer who ran up £9,622 on a force credit card has been spared jail.

Ex-Det Sgt John Gallagher, of Sutton, south-west London, told colleagues he had "no regrets" as the money went to support his homeless teenage daughter.

The court heard the money also fuelled his alcohol addiction. He admitted one count of misconduct in public office.

The now retired officer was given an eight month jail sentence suspended for two years at Southwark Crown Court.

'Tragic background'

Court heard that Gallagher misused the official American Express credit card between 15 November 2005 and 31 December 2007.

Earlier Nick Lobbenberg, defending, told the court that Gallagher, who worked with the Child Abuse Investigation team, had "a rather tragic background".

It is, I suppose, something quite a number of people are inclined to forget, namely that police officers are family men, too Judge Geoffrey Rivlin

The court heard that the once highly-regarded officer used the corporate card to help his daughter and on many other occasions he "drowned" his 29-year career in his "two bottles of Scotch a day" habit.

He has repaid the full amount.

Sentencing Gallagher, Judge Geoffrey Rivlin said the commended officer had shown "real remorse" and at the time was battling alcoholism and family problems.

"It is a very great irony that you almost certainly committed these offences because you felt the need to protect another child, namely your own, from the difficulties into which she had sunk.

"It is, I suppose, something quite a number of people are inclined to forget, namely that police officers are family men, too."

Gallagher made 226 transactions on the card of which only £400 was work-related, Phillipa McFarlane, prosecuting, said.

He "didn't regret supplying £5,000-£6,000 to his daughter from the card", she said.

She added that the Met has since enforced a new system to prevent misuse which limits both purchases and cash withdrawals with the cards.

Others charged

Gallagher was ordered to undergo treatment for his alcoholism, do 100 hours of community work, and will be subject to a 12-month supervision order.

Earlier this year, Det Sgt Richard de Cadenet, 38, was jailed for 10 months after running up a £73,000 bill on his official credit card.

He spent the cash on luxury holidays for his wife and mistress, a box at a Premier League football ground, clothes and other shopping trips.

The Met withdrew 1,400 credit cards last year after finding almost £2m worth of police expenses unaccounted for.

That figure dropped to £499,000 in January. An ongoing inquiry is looking into the whereabouts of just over a third of that money.