Cop jailed over false insurance policy sales

A British Transport Police inspector who pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud totalling more than £170,000 has been jailed for 18 months.

David Brown of Snead View, Motherwell, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted two charges.

One related to 2010 and 2011, when 46- year- old Brown fraudulently obtained commission from Legal and General Assurance Society to the value of £164,565.

The second relates to an occasion when he obtained £ 10,000 by false declaration to Scottish Police Credit Union, concealing details of his financial position and place of residency.

Brown had worked with the BTP since 1990, eventually becoming a £50,000-a-year inspector, but in 2009 took he on a second job with Glasgow-based financial services firm Ronald H Smith & Co.

An investigation launched after discrepancies were found in his accounts discovered that 90 per cent of policies sold by him were lapsed, cancelled or had disappeared.

He was sacked in October 2011 and a police probe found 52 false policies had been submitted by him.

British Transport Police’s Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock said: “Inspector Brown has admitted a pattern of criminal behaviour, which is completely incompatible with our standards of ethics and against all our professional values.

“Cases like this undermine the commitment of hard- working officers and can undoubtedly lead to a loss of trust in the police.

“Understandably, the public will be dismayed to believe an officer would behave in this way.

“We share this dismay and following this admission we will now accelerate a misconduct hearing, which could not be considered until the court had reached a decision.

“This misconduct hearing was personally overseen by the chief constable.”

P rosecutors made an application to seize Brown’s police pension under proceeds of crime legislation.

They had accepted not guilty pleas to three charges alleging Brown lied to obtain his second job and produced false documents to gain the employment without permission of police chiefs.

They also accepted his denial of producing false information to gain promotion to the rank of inspector.