Friday, February 28, 2003

Good cop turns bad in two years

By Les Kennedy
February 28 2003

When he was nearing the end of his detective training course in early 1999, Matthew John Jasper was enlisted by police Internal Affairs to work in an anti-corruption operation code-named Gymea.

As a result of seizing $80,000 and half a kilo of cocaine, he received a commendation from the state's then top corruption fighter, Mal Brammer, who this week quit as Independent Commission Against Corruption investigations head after a critical Police Integrity Commission report.

Jasper recounted the award in evidence in the Supreme Court yesterday about his own road from honest cop of 10 years to corrupt cop for two years when he joined Manly Police after his detective training course.

The 33-year-old, who resigned last year in disgrace as a Detective Senior Constable, was caught by a PIC anti-corruption sting code-named Florida.

"I knew what I was doing [was corrupt], but I think if I had not been sent to Manly I might not be sitting here today," he told Justice John Dunford.


Jasper took the stand to give pre-sentencing evidence on his behalf after pleading guilty to 23 charges of corrupt conduct during his time as a detective at Manly working with since convicted and imprisoned officers David Patison and Ray Peattie, also arrested in operation Florida.

Two further charges of supplying heroin between January 2000 and December 2000 were quashed by Justice Dunford.

But Jasper stood and with clasped hands pleaded "guilty" to all other charges including four of corruptly soliciting bribes from a major drug dealer between January 20, 2000, and March 7, 2000.
Then Jasper told the court of committing his first corrupt act, a crime for which he has never been charged.

It happened in 1999 when he and Patison arrested two American women with 60 grams of heroin and cash.

Patison remarked that if they "lightened" some of the 50s and 100s (dollar notes) they would have less work to do.

Jasper took $1200, giving $600 to Patison.

Jasper will be sentenced today.

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