Paul Greaney QC and Nicholas de la Poer prosecute corrupt police officer

On 17^th March 2017, following a 9 week trial, a jury unanimously convicted Keith Boots, his son and a third man, of offences arising out of the discovery by the police of a drugs warehouse.

Keith Boots had been a police inspector in charge of destroying controlled drugs. Instead he stole them and, together with his son, put the drugs back on the streets. When he was caught he persuaded the third man, Ian Mitchell, to claim falsely that the drugs were nothing to do with either of the Boots’s.

Over half a million pounds worth of drugs were found at Keith Boots’ house by the search officers.

The case was evidentially complex and the strands of evidence included: CCTV, cell site analysis, location services analysis, telephone billing analysis, fingerprints, the interpretation of the chemical analysis of drugs, handwriting evidence, visual comparison evidence and expert evidence in relation to ammunition.

All three men were sentenced on 24^th March 2017. Keith Boots received a total sentence of 26 years imprisonment. His son, Ashley, received a total sentence of 24 years imprisonment. Ian Mitchell, who faced only an allegation of conspiring with the other defendants to pervert the course of public justice, received 5 years imprisonment.

There will be substantial Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 proceedings which Nicholas de la Poer will conduct.

For more information:

• BBC
• BBC
• ITV
• The Guardian
• Daily Mail

Authors

Paul Greaney KC

Call 1993 | Silk 2010

Nicholas de la Poer KC

Call 2003 | Silk 2020