A former senior Christchurch police officer has been convicted for taking almost $3000 in diversion payments meant for victim support services in the city.
Trevor Hinkley, 63, lost his right to name suppression on Friday after admitting a charge of theft by failing to account for 12 occasions where he took cash paid into the police Traffic Diversion Scheme.
In the Christchurch District Court, Judge Jane Farish did not accept the explanation that the files containing $2750 were misplaced in an office rubbish bin.
She told Hinkley that while she accepted he was in poor mental and physical health at the time of the offending, between April 2009 and June 2010, his health problems were not significant enough to have been the cause.
Judge Farish said the former officer had abused the trust of his position, his employer, those who gave the cash and the services who were meant to receive it.
Defence lawyer Pip Hall said Hinkley's offending was a tragic and sad end to a lifetime of public service.
