Met officer charged over alleged theft from dead Italian actor

A Metropolitan Police officer has been accused of stealing money from the wallet of a dead Italian actor.

PC Craig Carter is alleged to have stolen money from Claudio Gaetani, 45, after he suffered a heart attack while cycling through rush in north London on September 8 2022.

Gaetani, who had dwarfism, is believed to have arrived in London the day before to attend a theatre festival at the Southbank Centre that showcases disabled artists from around the world.

When one of Gaetani’s friends later collected his belongings from Edmonton police station, she claimed money was missing from his wallet.

The Metropolitan Police subsequently launched an investigation.

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Anti-corruption detectives later passed a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Pc Carter, who works for the Met’s North Area Command Unit which covers Enfield and Haringey, has been suspended from duty.

He was charged with theft via postal requisition and will appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on Friday.

Gianluca, a close friend of Mr Gaetani, told The Upsetter, a crime news website: “He’s the type of person when you meet you can fall in love with, absolutely cheerful and positive, even with his physical condition of dwarfism he was never saying no to any adventure.”