Detective guilty of stealing from Newham prisoners escapes jail term
A detective who pleaded guilty to stealing from prisoners has been spared jail.
Det Con Timothy Hemmings, 43, was sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment suspended for 12 months after appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and admitting four counts of theft.
The court heard how Hemmings, who has been suspended from duty, stole cash totalling more than £823 while based at Plaistow police station in order to pay off his personal debts.
The thefts, which at times targeted the property of prisoners detained at the station, took place on four separate occasions over five days from June 7.
Following an investigation by the Directorate of Professional Standards, Hemmings was arrested on June 12.
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Acting Borough Commander, Craig Haslam, said: “It is imperative that public confidence is maintained in the police and our swift intervention in this case will hopefully show that those officers who betray the trust of our communities have no place in the Metropolitan Police Service.
“When it is alleged an officer has acted in an unprofessional or criminal manner, I will ensure all necessary and proportionate action is taken to investigate that matter thoroughly.
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“In this case, Det Con Hemmings was arrested and charged with a criminal offence and suspended from duty with immediate effect.”
It is believed Hemmings earned around £30,000 a year, with officers of the same rank typically earning between £27,000 and £36,000 annually, a Met spokesman said.
Hemmings was ordered to undertake 160 hours of unpaid work and to pay back £735 in compensation plus £165 in court costs on Tuesday last week.
He will now be subject to misconduct proceedings.
