Police sergeant pleads guilty to stealing his work phone to sell on EBAY
A POLICE sergeant has pleaded guilty to stealing his work-issued smartphone to sell on eBay.
Sussex officer Warren Downs pleaded guilty to stealing his work-issued smartphone to sell on eBay
Sussex officer Warren Downs, based with the neighbourhood policing team in Rye, East Sussex, also admitted stealing a £130 CCTV camera belonging to his force.
The 46-year-old pleaded guilty to theft of the Samsung Galaxy S4 phone and the Concept Pro Dome CCTV camera when he appeared at Crawley Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, Sussex Police said.
He was given a 12-month community order and £85 costs at Crawley Magistrates' Court
Magistrates slapped the officer with a 12-month community order and £85 costs.
Downs is voluntarily paying compensation to the person who bought the phone which had no Sussex Police information or data stored on it.
Downs now faces an internal disciplinary process
Downs, who was suspended from Sussex Police, now faces an internal disciplinary process where it will be decided if he will be allowed to keep his job.
A spokesman for Sussex Police said: "The Rye based officer now faces an internal discipline after being handed a 12 month community order to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £85 in costs."