Swansea,South Wales - Three South Wales Police officers 'stole £30,000'

Wales

Image copyrightWales News Service

Image captionLeft to right: Christopher Evans, Michael Stokes and Stephen Phillips who all deny the charge

Three police officers stole £12,000 during or after raids on two houses in Swansea, a court has heard.

Cardiff Crown Court heard it was taken from homes in Penlan in April 2011.

The jury was told more cash was taken from two safes and then during a formal count of the money seized in the raids in July 2011, totalling £30,000.

Det Sgt Stephen Phillips, 47, of Swansea and Det Cons Christopher Evans, 38, of Llangennech, and Michael Stokes, 35, from Glynneath, deny theft.

The jury has been shown CCTV footage taken on 13 April when two other officers carried out what is known as field test on the seized bundles of cash.

Peter Griffiths QC, prosecuting, told the court officers swabbed every sixth bank note in a bundle before testing them for traces of drugs.

He said there was a large discrepancy between how much cash was swabbed on video and how much was left after the final count in July, which was not filmed.

"Regrettably, there are often bad apples in any large organisation. It is, in short, a case of police corruption," he added.

The trial continues.

See - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-34697859