Policeman lost job over criminal conviction

A policeman lost his job after failing to disclose a criminal conviction dating back almost two decades, it emerged today.

Northern Constabulary confirmed that Constable Paul Geddes was "required to resign" following a misconduct hearing.

The hearing was called after it emerged that Mr Geddes had been convicted of forgery and theft in 1991 while in the Royal Navy.
The 36-year-old, from Inverness, joined Northern Constabulary a decade later but did not reveal his conviction.

It only came to light last year when completing a form for a position with the Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency.

At a court hearing in Inverness earlier this year he was admonished by the sheriff for failing to reveal his convictions.

The police disciplinary process then began, and despite a petition by Inverness residents for him to be re-instated, he was told he no longer had a job.

A spokesman for Northern Constabulary said: "Northern Constabulary has a duty to the communities it serves to maintain the highest level of professional standards of conduct. Public confidence in its officers is paramount.

"Following an internal misconduct hearing, an officer was required to resign from the force."