Crooked West Yorkshire police officer who 'fitted up' Leeds burglary suspects is sacked

A DETECTIVE who 'fitted up'  two suspects after her home in Leeds was burgled has been sacked.
Elizabeth BeltonElizabeth Belton
Elizabeth Belton

A West Yorkshire Police misconduct panel today (Thurs March 7) dismissed Detective Constable Judith Mulligan with immediate effect for her "reprehensible" behaviour which led to two men being jailed.

After a re-trial at Leeds Crown Court in January, a jury convicted Mulligan and Detective Chief inspector Elizabeth Belton of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by corrupting an identification procedure against two men.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The misconduct panel heard the two men, who both had criminal records, had been been stopped by police in the area after Mulligan's home in Pudsey was burgled.

The trial jury was told Mulligan contacted Belton, who arranged for the men's photographs to be delivered to Mulligan's home so she could identify them in a line-up.

The only evidence against the men was the positive identification by Mulligan, the misconduct hearing was told.

Belton was jailed for two-years and Mulligan was handed a suspended jail sentence.

Mulligan did not appear at today's misconduct hearing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

West Yorkshire Police Federation representative Sergeant Chris Bentley told the hearing that Mulligan still "maintains her innocence."

Sgt Bentley said: "Detective Constable Mulligan does accept her behaviour breaches the standards of professional behaviour and that breach is at gross misconduct."

Sgt Bentley added: "She accepts her position as a police officer is untenable.

"Det Cons Mulligan offers her sincere apologies for the reputational harm this has caused her and the police force as a whole."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable Craig Guilford chaired the misconduct hearing.

After hearing evidence of Mulligan's conviction, Chf Cons Guildford said Mulligan's actions amounted to gross misconduct and were "clearly deliberate, lacking integrity and dishonest. It involved unlawfully and unfair manipulation of public justice."

Chf Cons Guildford, said: "In my view, Det Cons Mulligan has not only let herself down, but more importantly she has badly let the public down .

"The conduct was thoroughly reprehensible."

Ordering Mulligan's immediate dismissal without notice, Chf Cons Guidford, said: "This offence, conspiring to pervert the course of justice, strikes at the heart at what the public expects their police to protect.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

" Identification procedures should be free from any unlawful interfererence. The public have the right to expect their police officers to uphold the law."

During the trial, jurors heard two men were jailed as a result of corrupt methods used by the officers during the investigation.

The offences took place during September 2013 after two people tried to break into Mulligan’s home in Pudsey.

Mulligan dialled 999 and described seeing two suspects outside her home as being teenagers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Police were sent to the area and stopped two men aged in their thirties.

It was heard that photographs of the men were then delivered to Mulligan’s house so she could identify them in a line-up, which she did the next day.

Mulligan also changed her statement about seeing teenagers.

The two suspects were charged with attempted burglary and subsequently jailed.

After the two men were convicted, Mulligan sent a text to Belton stating: “That’ll teach them to try and burgle a single mum looking out for her 2 children.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The court heard Belton sent text messages to Mulligan saying: "You've fit him up lol".

She also described the suspects as "little sh*ts", stating: "I hate burglars".

Belton and Mulligan had been on trial with former police sergeant Mohammed Gother, who was found not guilty.

A jury was dismissed at the end of the original trial in April last year after they were unable to reach verdicts.