A former officer with the Metropolitan Police has been jailed for 10 months after admitting to employee fraud involving tens of thousands of pounds.
Detective sergeant Richard de Cadenet, a former anti-terrorist officer who worked on a number of high-profile operations including the 7/7 attacks on London, was sentenced on Monday after pleading guilty to misconduct in public office. He admitted illicitly spending more than £73,000 on his corporate credit card during a 15-month period.
Deborah Glass, an Independent Police Complaints commissioner for London, said it was a serious misuse of the public’s money.
“I hope today’s sentence reassures them that abuse of the system will not be tolerated,” said Glass. “I commend the Metropolitan Police for the vigour with which they are now dealing with this matter.”
De Cadenet spent more than £6,400 on a holiday in Thailand and a further £9,000 on a trip to Mexico. The court also heard how he spent more than £3,000 on electrical goods, and even paid for a box at a Premier League football match.
More than 1,400 Met credit cards have been cancelled following the investigation.
Earlier this month, fraud experts and business groups warned that the economic downturn was leading staff to commit fraud against their employers in efforts to balance their finances.
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