Ex-Met Police officer from Walthamstow who used dead people's bank details to go shopping is jailed
A former Met Police officer who used dead people's bank details to go shopping has been sentenced to prison. Ex-PC Muhammed Mustafa Darr, 39, was handed a 40-month sentence at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, September 16, after admitting to three counts of misconduct in public office (MIPO) ahead of a trial scheduled for this year.
The charges were brought following an investigation by the Met Police's Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), under the guidance of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The offences took place between December 2018 and September 2020, when Darr, hailing from Walthamstow, served as a constable in a response unit in North London.
He resigned in February 2023 shortly before being charged. From June 2019 to September 2020, Darr misused his position by accessing files related to a fraud investigation into himself.
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He also used the police national computer to check the criminal record of a family member and crime reports of a friend who had been arrested. On several other occasions, he shared confidential police records with family and friends, reports MyLondon.
In June 2020, Darr committed the second offence when he stole a laptop and bag from an unlocked vehicle belonging to a member of the public, after colleagues had arrested a man for a driving offence. The stolen items were later discovered in a vehicle parked on his driveway.
He also confessed to the third offence, which involved using the bank details of deceased individuals to buy electrical goods worth hundreds of pounds. An additional charge of perverting the course of justice was allowed to remain on file.
IOPC director Steve Noonan stated: "Muhammed Darr was a corrupt officer and his offending, which spanned several years, was appalling. He repeatedly showed a willingness to break the law by accessing police records without a legitimate purpose, which is strictly forbidden, and passing on confidential information about investigations."
"On top of this his dishonesty offending, where he stole from a member of the public and deceased victims were truly shocking. There's no place in policing for corrupt officers and it's this behaviour which significantly tarnishes the public's trust in police. The seriousness of his offending has been reflected in his prison sentence."