UK NEWS

POLICE OFFICERS ACCUSED OF GUN RUNNING PLOT

One of the suspended officers Maurice Allen

Saturday September 12,2009

By Mark Blacklock

TWO policemen appeared before magistrates yesterday in connection with a gun-running plot.

PC Maurice Allen, 47, who has served for nearly 29 years with Durham Constabulary, and PC Damien Cobain, 41, who has eight years of service, appeared at Newcastle magistrates’ court, charged with misconduct in a public office. PC Allen is also charged with 16 counts of theft.

They were arrested and suspended from duty after an inquiry was launched in February following a routine investigation into a burglary at a farmhouse in north Durham.

One of the items stolen in the raid was a rifle, which the owner said he had bought from the police.

The allegation sparked a seven-month investigation by the force’s professional standards committee, supervised by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, into claims that weapons which had been handed in for destruction had been re-sold.

PC Allen is a former firearms licensing officer based in Derwentside and PC Cobain worked as a firearms licensing officer in east Durham.

No pleas were entered during the short hearing and Allen, from Houghton-le-Spring, and Cobain, of Sunderland, were granted unconditional bail.

The pair only spoke to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses.

They will appear at Newcastle Crown Court on September 25.

Detective Chief Inspector Mick Nail, of the force’s professional standards department, said: “All the weapons are accounted for and were bought by registered shotgun or firearms certificate holders who had been previously vetted by police.

“There is nothing to suggest that any of the firearms concerned have been used in any criminal activity.”