'Police officer gave drug dealer tip-offs to get wife cocaine'

A policeman ‘gave a drug dealer tip-offs’
PA Archive
12 April 2012

A Met policeman gave a drug dealer tip-offs in exchange for free cocaine for his wife, a court heard today.

Pc Mark Bohannan and his wife Denise had a "corrupt" relationship with dealer Syed Imtiaz Ahmed which involved giving him details about criminals and operations taken from police computer systems, Southwark crown court was told.

The 47-year-old officer, who has more than 25 years' experience, also allegedly failed to put intelligence about Ahmed into the system.

Ahmed would then give free drugs and occasionally money to Denise Bohannan, 56, a heavy user of cocaine, the court heard.

David Durose, prosecuting, said: "Mr Ahmed was the co-ordinator of a drugs organisation responsible for the supply of cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis.

"Ahmed received knowing assistance and information from Mark Bohannan, usually via Denise, which allowed Ahmed's large-scale drug dealing to remain undetected and unpunished. It also allowed Ahmed the facility to check up and locate people from information held in the police computer systems."

The Bohannans, who have been married for 20 years, deny conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.

They were arrested on 10 May 2007, when Mark Bohannan was a field intelligence officer for the Met's Territorial Support Group, based in Catford. Mr Durose said Ahmed, who also worked as an estate agent in Bexleyheath, had admitted his part in the offending and would be called as a witness.

The court heard the Bohannans met Ahmed through the partner of Denise's daughter Danielle. Denise Bohannan told police she had used cocaine since the late Nineties and got drugs through Ahmed or one of his runners.

It is claimed she told Ahmed she could "find out information for him" because of her husband's position. "She was offering to protect him from the police," Mr Durose said. Ahmed would phone the Bohannans for information, which he would usually receive a day later.

Bohannan allegedly gave Ahmed details of police activity, addresses and convictions of individuals to use to avoid trouble or to track down people who owed him money, or to pass on to associates. Mr Durose said the dealer was even able to find out if individuals had "grassed" on anyone and "tasked" Mark Bohannan for particular checks.

But the information was not always enough to satisfy his wife's demand for drugs, the jury heard. Mr Durose said: "As Denise Bohannan's cocaine use increased, she began to give false information to score free drugs."

Her husband asked Ahmed to stop dealing drugs to his wife and allegedly suggested he receive cash payments for information. "Mr Ahmed did not give money to Mark Bohannan as a rule although there were a couple of occasions when payment was given in cash," said Mr Durose. "Mr Ahmed remembers giving Mark Bohannan £200 or £300 for a check."

The trial continues.

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