A former police officer, who handed in his resignation to the Commissioner of Police on Monday, was today jailed for 2½ years at Bermuda’s maximum security prison, after he changed his plea to guilty on corruption-related charges.
Kyle Wheatley, 34, admitted that he conspired with others to defeat the course of justice by destroying traffic tickets issued to motorists between July 1, 2017 and May 8, 2018, for “beneficial gain”, by “deciding not to continue with those tickets”.
Acting Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe told the court that the charges Wheatley admitted to represented a “strike at the heart” of the criminal justice system.
Wheatley, whose bail was extended until sentencing today (December 10), handed in his resignation to the Commissioner of Police on Monday.
His co-accused colleagues were bailed with order to appear during the January arraignment session.
Commissioner of the Bermuda Police Service (BPS), Police Stephen Corbishley has already gone on record to reassure the public that the behaviour of one officer; which admittedly, he said was damaging, should not reflect on the overall integrity of all officers employed by the BPS.
He also confirmed that at least four other officers are currently on suspension, two male officers in relation to an alleged serious matter, and two female officers, who were “suspended a couple of months ago” for what he termed “corrupt behaviour”.
“As with any public service there are a few rotten apples,” said Mr Corbishley. But they “will be found out and their time with the BPS will no longer continue,” he added.
He noted that the behoviour exhibited by the officer sentenced “undermines justice and it’s not the right thing”.
:That cannot ever be accepted as a police officer,” said Mr Corbishley.
As head of the BPS, he noted that it was important that he speak up when one of his officers “falls below the standard expected by the public”.
“That standard is that they work with integrity, they work with ethics, and they work, above all, with an honest service to the public,” he said.
“This particular officer chose to go another direction and put himself first, and indeed he let down our local community in Bermuda and indeed he let down the Bermuda Police Service.”
