Taxi driver denies buying sensitive intelligence from Merseyside PC Robert Sloan says he was trying to recover a debt, not burgle cannabis farms A taxi driver denied buying sensitive intelligence from a Merseyside police officer in a plot to burgle cannabis farms.
Prosecutors say Robert Sloan, 45, was a cocaine dealer who used information provided by ex-PC Barry Parkinson, 46, to keep “one step ahead”.
They also allege that Parkinson passed Sloan the addresses of suspected cannabis farms , as part of a conspiracy to break in and steal the drugs.
Sloan, of Steeple View, Kirkby , denies conspiracy to commit burglary and to supply cannabis in a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
The bouncer and debt collector admits using and dealing steroids to friends, but denies having anything to do with cocaine or cannabis.
He today told the jury that he would ring Parkinson and his friend David Gould “all the time”, but this was never to discuss cannabis farms.
The dad-of-six said: “Most of the time I’m just bored in the taxi. We just talk about anything and everything.”
Prosecutors say Sloan passed the addresses of suspected cannabis farms to Gould, 53, who in turn told Shaun Blackburn, 32, to burgle the premises.
However, the ex-amateur boxer told the court a text message he forwarded to Gould in January 2014 containing several addresses were actually locations where a traveller called Bernie Campbell was suspected to be living.
Sloan said this was about him trying to find Mr Campbell to collect a debt that he had owed his friend, who died of cancer.
He said he promised his dying pal that he would get the money for his family back from Mr Campbell, who went to ground after initially promising to pay the cash.
Sloan told the court he was sent the addresses by another traveller called Lee Jones, who had been lumbered with the responsibility for Mr Campbell’s debt.
Charles Lander, defending Sloan, said: “Why were addresses being sent to you?”
He replied: “Bernie Campbell had gone missing. The traveller’s community wouldn’t talk to me.
“Lee Jones’ dad is the head of the travellers. Lee explained the situation to his dad that Bernie has put him in debt.
“The dad was giving me addresses to find out where Bernie Campbell was.”
Sloan said he also found out around this time that Mr Campbell owed him £3,000 for diet pills, much to his annoyance.
He said he gave Mr Jones 5,000 Effigen tablets from a dealer known as ‘Pops’, but then discovered Mr Jones had passed them on to Mr Campbell.
Sloan said: “I wouldn’t have given him last night’s ECHO. I was £3,000 out of pocket.”
Parkinson, of Beechburn Crescent, Page Moss; Blackburn, of Kenbury Road, Kirkby; and Gould, of Grange Avenue, West Derby, all deny conspiracy to commit burglary and to supply cannabis.
(Proceeding)
source:
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv ... e-11610384
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