Officer convicted over card use

A high-ranking police officer has been partly cleared of swindling an elderly widow of her assets but found guilty of misusing police credit cards.

Det Ch Insp Peter Salkeld, 42, of Shoreham, West Sussex, was cleared of four counts of obtaining property by deception and one count of theft.

But the jury at Maidstone Crown Court found him guilty of another 11 charges relating to theft and deception.

It will resume deliberations on a further three charges on Wednesday.

Power of attorney

Salkeld, who is currently suspended from the South East Regional Intelligence Unit, was also found guilty of claiming a grant from Sussex Police's Welfare Fund for £1,100, which he used to buy caravanning equipment between July and October 2005.

He was found guilty of six counts of theft and four counts of obtaining property by deception.

He was also found guilty of obtaining a money transfer by deception, which related to him using a credit card given to him by Sussex Police which he used to buy a number of personal goods.

During the five-week trial, the jury of seven women and five men heard how Salkeld used the credit card between June 2005 and February 2006 to purchase a mini fridge and a watch, as well as a fountain pen and blank DVD discs.

Nursing home care

He also used it to pay for valeting his car and for personal dry cleaning costs.

The remaining charges still being considered by the jury accuse Salkeld of stealing money from the bank account of Eileen Savage, now 93.

He was found guilty of dishonestly obtaining payments for her care and accommodation at a nursing home at the expense of Brighton and Hove City Council between August 2001 and January 2006.

After being made power of attorney over her estate in 1996, he sold her home in Hove, East Sussex to himself at a much lower price than it was valued, but after hearing that this was done with Mrs Savage's consent, he was cleared of dishonestly obtaining the property.

Salkeld had denied all the charges.