Policeman in Finnmark sentenced to prison for destroying evidence – news Troms and Finnmark

A police officer in the Finnmark police district has been sentenced to 21 days in prison. It is in line with what the prosecution requested when the case went before the Vestre Finnmark district court last Wednesday. The man also loses his job in the police. Rett24 wrote about the verdict first. A policeman has been sentenced to unconditional imprisonment by the Vestre Finnmark District Court. This means that the man must serve the sentence in prison. Photo: André Bendixen Claimed it was an accident An iPhone was central to the case. According to the indictment, the man smashed his phone when he became aware that it was to be confiscated as part of the investigation. The police officer himself claimed it was destroyed by accident the day before, when he was moving a snowmobile. He pleaded not guilty and said he was very surprised by the indictment. news has tried to get a comment from the man’s defender and the prosecutor in the case, but they have so far not responded. It is therefore unclear how the police officer will approach the verdict. The background to the case is a criminal case against an acquaintance of the police officer, who was detained and charged with violence against his partner over several years. Prosecutor Vegard Hermann Tobiassen was heard on both key points about prison sentences and loss of position as a police officer. Photo: Erlend Hykkerud / news Delivered a hot phone Prosecutor Vegard Hermann Tobiassen said in court that the phone in question was used on the same day that the police officer was questioned about the violence case, 4 April 2024. In his explanation, however, the police officer claimed that his phone had been destroyed the day before, when he moved a snowmobile. The SIM card in the broken phone was moved to another phone that he had access to. That was the reason why the police were able to communicate with him. During the interrogation, he learned that his phone was to be seized. Afterwards, however, he handed in the service telephone. Later, the police officer realized that he had given up the wrong phone, he explained. He then contacted the investigator and explained what had happened. Later in the day, he brought the phone to the police station in Alta. The phone he delivered was broken and with a bent screen. It was hot, and condensation had formed in the bag it was in. Silence about number evidence The prosecutor referred to teledata and pointed out that the IMEI number of the phone that had been smashed was the same as that of the phone he used immediately after the interrogation, when he called the lawyer of the friend accused of violence. The police officer could not explain that. Prosecutor Tobiassen requested that the police officer be stripped of his position. Even if this is a relationship that did not occur in service, he cannot continue in the position. – Society must have confidence that the police follow laws and regulations, even if they are not at work, Tobiassen said. Defender Espen Henrik Johansen asked that the policeman be acquitted in court. Photo: Erlend Hykkerud / news Defender Espen Henrik Johansen asked that the police officer be acquitted. He said that the contents of the phone had been secured anyway, and that it contained no evidence of value in the violence case. The fact that the phone was hot was not decisive. No expert had said that the phone couldn’t run hot the day after it was broken, Johansen said. Several cases from the past The police officer stated in his witness statement that he has previously had several cases against him. It has involved illegal driving in the countryside, violence in close relationships and rape. In one of these cases, his phone was also seized. There are cases that have been dropped, but that they have a great impact on work and in terms of his social reputation. Based on these cases, he has had a reaction that made him stressed in connection with the questioning and the seizure of the phone, he said. Published 03.12.2024, at 16.13 Updated 03.12.2024, at 16.33



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