Vic: Top cop jailed for trafficking drugs to underworld

AAP General News (Australia)
12-11-2006
Vic: Top cop jailed for trafficking drugs to underworld

By Mariza O'Keefe

MELBOURNE, Dec 11 AAP - A former top Victorian drug squad officer who sold drugs to
an underworld figure has been sentenced to seven years' jail.

After a three-month trial, a jury found former detective senior sergeant Wayne Geoffrey
Strawhorn guilty of trafficking a commercial quantity of pseudoephedrine.

The 51-year-old was convicted of trafficking two kilograms of pseudoephedrine to slain
underworld figure Mark Moran in May 2000, when Strawhorn was a senior police officer with
the drug squad.

At the Victorian Supreme Court today, he was sentenced to seven years' jail with a
minimum term of four years.

The police officer of almost 30 years - who continues to deny guilt - was stony faced
as the sentence was handed down today.

At the time of the offence, Strawhorn was a senior officer in a drug squad unit responsible
for investigating clandestine amphetamine laboratories.

He was largely responsible for the introduction of the new investigation technique
that involved undercover police infiltrating the drug world by selling precursor chemicals
to illegal drug manufacturers.

It was through this set-up that he sold two kilograms of pseudoephedrine to Moran for
$12,000, the court heard.

Strawhorn arranged for a junior police officer to purchase the pseudoephedrine from
a pharmacy company, he then passed it on to another police officer and it finally made
its way to Moran, the court was told.

Justice David Habersberger said Strawhorn's conduct undermined public confidence in
the police force and betrayed the thousands of serving police officers.

The court heard Strawhorn was considered one of the most competent and highly skilled
investigators in the drug squad.

"As to why you, with this most impressive record of dedication, competence, intelligence
and integrity should have so drastically fallen from grace, by this isolated but very
serious instance of offending, remains a mystery," Justice Habersberger said.

The judge said he believed the pursuit of money was not Strawhorn's prime motive and
he accepted that the police officer believed that the drug exchange may help its undercover
operation achieve success.

"Members of the police force are not above the law and it is simply no excuse that
your serious breach of the law may have resulted from some misguided belief that in the
end justified the means," he said.

His case comes at a time when the spotlight has fallen on the former Victorian drug
squad. Five former drug squad officers have been convicted and jailed this year of drug
offences.

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KEYWORD: STRAWHORN NIGHTLEAD

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