Manchester Cop Shamed and Sacked
A Manchester policeman has been sacked after driving a crime suspect home from a pub instead of arresting him.
The disciplinary panel heard how in November 2012 Pc Ian Johnson told GMP he'd searched the Queen Adelaide pub in Hyde in pursuit of Anthony Blakely who was wanted for assault.
Johnson lied to the police control room claiming he and colleague Pc Gareth Lynch scoured the premises but had failed to find the suspect.
A short time later Johnson picked up Blakely and drove him home to Hattersley because he was afraid of him.
PC Lynch has also been sacked for not challenging PC Johnson for sending a false message on the radio.
All this took place just a few months after the deaths of Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, former colloeagues of Johnson who were murdered by Dale Cregan.
Johnson who worked at the same police station as the slain officers was receiving counselling following their deaths but text messages read out at the disciplinary hearing revealed how he'd claimed he deserved "an oscar" for his perfomances during the counselling.