A Queensland police officer fronted Emerald Courtroom on Tuesday, charged with stealing.
Senior Constable Thomas Patten is accused of stealing $36 price of snacks from the Longreach Police Station’s social membership.
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The minor office dispute has been slammed as a humiliation and waste of police time by some, and a obligatory act of accountability by others.
Patten appeared in courtroom to face a cost of stealing on Tuesday, the place he was accompanied by his lawyer and a police union consultant.
The 40-year-old is accused of taking $36 price of chocolate, comfortable drink and ice cream from his station’s social membership — with out ticking off the IOU sheet.
He has been standing down on full pay.
His colleagues carried out a sting operation, putting in covert cameras to catch him within the alleged act.
But it surely has since emerged that they didn’t have the required warrant for this operation.
“This can be a matter that would have been resolved as a office problem,” lawyer Craig Pratt mentioned.
“Mr Patten intends to defend the allegation.”
This case has already value taxpayers 1000’s of {dollars}, with the prices set to rise when the matter returns to courtroom in Could.
– with Georgia Holland
