Policeman spared jail for fitting bathrooms while 'sick'

Last updated at 16:38 30 August 2006


A policeman who falsely claimed to be off work sick while he was fitting new bathrooms was today given a suspended prison sentence.

Pc Steve Trendell, from south London, had debts running into tens of thousands of pounds and made "a stupid decision" to supplement his income, Wimbledon Magistrates' Court was told.

The 30-year-old, who has since resigned from the force, provided sick notes, but while he was off work for three days in October 2004 he fitted a new bathroom and over 10 days in May and June 2005 he installed a boiler and a bathroom, the court had previously heard.

Today he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment, suspended for a year, for two offences of deception, to run concurrently.

He was also told he should undertake 250 hours of unpaid work on each of the two charges.

The ex-officer, wearing a smart blue suit, stood in the dock with his head bowed as magistrate Edith MacAuley told him: "You were a serving police officer when you committed these offences of deception. You have lost your reputation as a result of them.

"We take these matters very seriously as they involve fraud of the public purse in that you were working as a bathroom fitter when you claimed to be on sick leave with a bad back."

Most watched News videos