Police officer says scanning carrot barcode instead of donuts ‘honest mistake’

Police Constable Simon Read told a misconduct hearing that he did not realise he scanned the carrot barcode twice at the self-service tills at a Tesco Extra in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, on February 10 this year.

He accepted that he failed to scan the barcode for the box of 12 donuts while purchasing four items at around 11.30am – the donuts, carrots, a sandwich and a drink – but said this was not done on purpose.

Asked if he intended to steal the donuts, he told a hearing at the East of England Showground in Peterborough: “Absolutely not, and I’m horrified we’re in this situation here today.”

The Cambridgeshire Constabulary officer, who joined the force in January this year, said he was buying the sweet treats for colleagues as a “cake fine”.

PC Read said he was buying the carrots for his sergeant who was on a diet, and he thought it “would be funny” for them to be in a Krispy Kreme paper bag.

He said he stuck the carrots barcode onto the donut tray, as it would have spoiled the joke if he stuck it on the paper bag.

“I simply scanned where I believed the barcodes were and placed them down [in the bagging area],” he said. “I didn’t check the screen. I wish I had have done. I wish I had paid more attention to what was an ordinary experience – going to the shop, scanning some items and paying.”

He said he felt “embarrassed” by what happened, adding: “This has been a very long and lengthy nine months, not being at work when I should be.”

He said he took a receipt but did not look at it, adding: “I had no cause to.”

Lawyer Mark Ley-Morgan, putting the misconduct case, said: “He’s maintained from the outset this is all a horrible mistake, of him failing to pay attention while scanning his items.

“We say this is very unlikely to be the truth.”

Mr Ley-Morgan continued: “He would have had to be standing there with his eyes closed not to see what was happening on the screen in front of him.

“You have to tap the screen.

“You have to tap to check out, you have to tap to say if you want any bags, you have to say which method of payment you choose. Do you do that without looking at the screen?”

He went on: “It beggars belief that he wouldn’t at some point have seen he was being charged just over £4, knowing some moments before he picked up an item that cost a tenner.”

PC Read joined Thames Valley Police in 2008 and was based in Reading.

He served with the Royal Signals for five-and-a-half years before joining Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

PC Read is accused of breaching two professional standards, of discreditable conduct, and of honesty and integrity.

The hearing, listed for two days, continues.