Durham police officers admit part in gun running plot

Jan 12 2010 by Garry Willey, The Journal

Kingsley Hyland, prosecuting, said: “Mr Allen says the theft charges are subsumed by the misconduct charge but I don’t accept this at this stage.

“I will need some little time to determine it, we need to look at whether the public interest would be served by continuing with the theft charge.”

Allen pleaded guilty to misconduct between January 1999 and April 2006 while Cobain, a firearms officer in East Durham, admitted the same charge between January 2004 and April 2006.

Allen, 47 a fire arms licensing officer in Derwentside, from Houghton-le-Spring, admits misconduct between January 1999 and April 2006. Cobain, 42, from Sunderland a fire arms officer in East Durham, admits misconduct between January 2004 and April 2006.

John Elvidge, for Allen, said: “I don’t want to say much about the theft allegation at the moment. This is a fairly complex case.”

Judge David Hodson granted the pair unconditional bail until February 26.

Both policemen were suspended from duty when the allegation surfaced last year.