A Metropolitan Police officer has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after stealing money from Italian filmmaker Claudio Gaetani, who collapsed and died while visiting London. PC Craig Carter, formerly of the Met’s North Area Command Unit, took £115 from Mr Gaetani after his death.
Mr Gaetani, 45, was cycling to meet friends for a theatre festival at the Southbank Centre when he tragically collapsed and died in the street. Carter, who had served with the Metropolitan Police for 23 years, was later found to have stolen money from Mr. Gaetani’s wallet while handling his belongings.
The theft came to light when a friend of Mr. Gaetani collected his personal effects from the police and discovered the money missing. The revelation sparked outrage, with Mr Gaetani’s friend telling The Mirror: “I think it is really disrespectful. I was really, really upset.”
At Wood Green Crown Court on Friday, 13 September, Judge Kalyani Kaul KC addressed Carter, describing how he had “thrown away” his career, family, and community trust with his actions. She said: “On the 7th of September, two years ago, you threw all of that away – you let down your force, you let down your community.”
Carter was dismissed from the force without notice in August after the investigation revealed his crime. Tetteh Turkson, from the Crown Prosecution Service, condemned Carter’s actions, saying he had fallen “woefully short” of the public’s expectations of a police officer.
The fact Carter thought he could freely steal from a victim who had sadly passed away is not only disturbing but deeply disrespectful to the victim’s family,” Turkson added. “Our thoughts remain with them at this time.”
Carter pled guilty to the theft, and Judge Kaul sentenced him to 16 months in prison for his actions.
