A Metropolitan Police officer has admitted stealing money from a man who died after collapsing.
Police officer Craig Carter, of Harlow, Essex, stole around £115 from Claudio Gaetani in September 2022.
Dressed in a dark suit, the 51-year-old appeared at Wood Green Magistrates’ Court on Friday to plead guilty to the charge that he “took for his own use money from a wallet which he had received as evidence in connection with a sudden death”.
Judge Daniel Fugallo said: “I want to make it clear that an immediate prison sentence appears to be the most likely outcome in this case.”
The judge granted Carter unconditional bail ahead of his sentencing in the same court on September 13.
The judge clarified: “Neither the request for a report nor my granting you bail should be construed as an indication of the type of sentence you will receive.”
Carter, who works for the Met’s Northern Area Command unit, which covers Enfield and Haringey, is suspended from duty.
“Terribly short”
Tetteh Turkson, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said Carter had “failed woefully” to meet public expectations of a police officer.
He added: “The fact that Carter felt he could freely rob a victim who had sadly passed away is not only disturbing, but also deeply disrespectful to the victim’s family. Our thoughts are with them at this time.”
“After working collaboratively with the CPS and the Metropolitan Police Service, Carter was left with no choice but to plead guilty and face the consequences of his actions.”
Mr. Gaetani, an Italian filmmaker and actor, died on September 8, 2022, after suffering a heart attack during rush hour while cycling to meet friends.
