Former Met officer jailed for 16 months after stealing from dead man

A former Metropolitan Police officer has been jailed for 16 months after stealing money from a man who had died after collapsing.

Craig Carter, 51, of Harlow, Essex, stole around £115 from Italian filmmaker and actor Claudio Gaetani between September 7 and 14 2022.

Carter worked for the Met’s North Area Command Unit, which covers Enfield and Haringey, and appeared at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday wearing a dark blazer and tie and a white striped shirt.

Judge Kalyani Kaul KC described Carter’s career, and noted that he has raised two daughters, and has a “strong” marriage with his wife who he cares for.

She then told him: “On the 7th of September, two years ago, you threw all of that away – you let down your force, you let down your community”.

The judge described his crime as “abhorrent” and said: “You (and your colleague) were the first to arrive to the scene and you were responsible for his (Mr Gaetani’s) belongings.

“Mr Gaetani was in the most vulnerable position any human being could be in – deceased and alone.

“Police officers, as we all know, have powers and privileges much greater than any one person in our community, and that makes the possible commission of offences and the possible abuse of that role very easy.

“Your crime, as I said in this case, was abhorrent. Mr Gaetani was in a very vulnerable position. You have let down your entire community.”

Mr Gaetani had arrived from Italy and was staying with friends when he told them he had exchanged about 200 euros into sterling.

He died the following morning after collapsing while cycling, and Carter attended the scene with another officer.

Both officers were wearing body-worn cameras and Carter was given Mr Gaetani’s passport and wallet as evidence.

Carter’s body-worn camera later recorded him counting around £115 worth of cash in Mr Gaetani’s wallet while he was sat in a police car, along with some euros and loose change.

He only logged a small amount of money in police records which he later said was about £6 and six euros, prosecutor Helena Duong told the court.

The footage would have eventually been deleted as per police protocol, and Carter recommended that it should be.

But Mr Gaetani’s friend, who had subsequently taken his possessions, complained that money was missing.

The body-worn footage was seized and the cash seen in the video with Carter was not accounted for in police archives.

During a police interview on November 14, Carter said he had not searched Mr Gaetani’s body and reiterated that the wallet contained about £6 and six euros, prosecution said.

Ms Duong said that Carter told officers: “I deny the allegation and I’m appalled by the suggestion that I would steal money from anyone, let alone a dead man.”

He admitted misconduct in public office on July 26 this year and the charge stated that “while acting as a public officer namely as a police constable” he “took for his own use money from a wallet received by him in evidence in relation to a sudden death”.

Carter was dismissed from the force without notice in August after serving for 23 years.

The court heard that during his service, Carter had responded to the 7/7 London bombings in 2005, the Westminster Bridge terror attack on March 22 2017, as well as the Tottenham riots in 2011.

He also once saved the life of someone who had been attacked with a machete, the court was told.