The wife of an allegedly “corrupt” detective accused of making thousands of pounds from drugs stolen from secure police custody, has told a jury she has never been diagnosed with cancer.
Nicholas McFadden allegedly told fellow officers in West Yorkshire Police’s Organised Crime Group that his extra spending in 2011 was due to a critical illness payment of around £100,000 after such a diagnosis, Leeds Crown Court heard.
Giving evidence yesterday, Clair McFadden was asked by Paul Greaney QC prosecuting: “have you ever been diagnosed with any illness that might be regarded as life-threatening such as cancer?”
“No,” she replied. She also told the jury she had never received such a critical illness payment.
Nicholas McFadden, 37, recently of Church Avenue, Leeds, denies four charges of stealing drugs and four charges of conspiring to supply them. He has admitted one of money laundering. His brother Simon, 41, of Darfield Place, Harehills, denies four charges of conspiracy to supply drugs and one of money laundering.
The prosecution claims the pair made at least £600,000 from drugs the detective constable stole from police seizures and the pair then plotted to put back on to the streets.
Mrs McFadden said her husband told her he been doing lots of overtime for double pay, that a pension had matured and he had remortgaged his previous house in Ossett.
When he arranged for work to be done on their home in Pasture Drive, Castleford he said he had got it cheaper through mates. At one point he gave her £8,000 in cash and she accepted his account.
“He was my husband and a police officer,” she told the court.
Detective Constable Tanya Strangeway who had previously lived with and been engaged to Nicholas McFadden until their relationship ended in 2006, said they became close again in 2011 and he brought her £10,000 giftwrapped in bundles of £20 and £10 notes and bought her a car.
He told her he had sold the Ossett house and she assumed it came from that.
The trial continues.