By James Simons-
Ashamed Detective Sergeant jailed for stealing tens of thousands of pounds of cash from holidaymakers at Heathrow, has let the police force down.
Met Police DS Michael Harrington seized between £75,000 and £83,000 over the course of five years from unsuspecting passengers.
The 58-year-old was jailed for four-and-a-half years today at Southalk Crown Court after admitting 16 counts of theft – all carried out while he was meant to be working.
The financial investigator was tasked with seizing unauthorized cash from passengers traveling in and out of Britain. However, instead of handing the cash over to bosses, Harrington falsely recorded it had been given back to the passengers and pocketed it himself.
On other occasions, the crook recorded the amounts seized to be less than they actually were – and kept the cash. He obviously thought he would get away with it, but really should have known better.
His cruel crimes even ruined two weddings, because his victims were unable to travel with the cash presents they had wanted to give the newlyweds.
It emerged that Harrington also denied a victim the opportunity to have an interpreter present when confiscating legitimate money.
He was eventually caught, five years after beginning his scam, after victims started to contact his own colleagues about getting their money back.
Harrington initially failed to turn up to an earlier sentencing hearing, prompting a warrant to be issued for his arrest.
He was sentenced to four years and six months in prison for 16 counts of theft at Southwark Crown Court today. Harrington took advantage of a number of passengers including foreign nationals making their way through Heathrow Airport.
Harrington took advantage of a number of passengers including foreign nationals making their way through Heathrow Airport.
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Riaz Jakhura, from the CPS, said: ‘Harrington took advantage of a number of passengers including foreign nationals making their way through Heathrow Airport.
”He abused his position as a financial investigator for the police, contributing to significant stress and financial hardship for some of his victims.
He called some of his victims into the police station to discuss his fabricated plans to get their money back – even telling one that he would have to wait up to three years.
Under pressure, he also paid the money back to a victim from his own bank account and attempted to make the transfer look like it came from an official Metropolitan Police Service bank account.
A number of empty evidence bags used to seize money from passengers passing through Heathrow Airport were also found at his home address.
The overwhelming evidence against Harrington meant that he had no choice but to admit his crimes”.
Harrington’s reputation is now in tartars, his future prospects in grave doubt after his imprisonment.