A disgraced police officer who stole two phones and an iPad from a deceased man’s home just minutes after he died of a heart attack has been condemned by his former colleagues.
Alan Sneddon, 46, committed the crime after responding to a call at the home of John Green, a 58-year-old father, who died following a call to NHS 24. Sneddon took the electronic devices—worth £2,700—and then told the deceased man’s sister and her husband that there were a lot of valuable items in the house which they should take away.
Sneddon, who had 28 years of service with the police, avoided jail time at Paisley Sheriff Court last week, instead receiving a Community Payback Order requiring him to be supervised by social workers and complete unpaid work.
His lawyer, Solicitor Advocate Pamela Rodgers, told the court that Sneddon was set to lose his job and pension and had already lost the support of his colleagues. She explained: “His actions have completely compromised an entire social support network.”
Police officers in Paisley, Renfrewshire, who worked alongside Sneddon, expressed their disgust over his actions. One officer said, “Nobody can believe a fellow officer, especially someone as experienced as him, would think this was acceptable, never mind go through with it. It’s hard to understand how someone could be so heartless.”
The incident shocked many in the police force, with another officer adding, “It’s sickening. Our job is hard enough without things like this happening. It just tarnishes our reputation and makes people less trusting of the police.”
Sneddon had been in the force for nearly 30 years and was involved in training new officers, leading many to question what kind of example he set. The officers in Paisley have essentially disowned him, with one noting, “It’s pretty obvious he’s aware of his wrongdoing when the people you’ve worked with for nearly 30 years won’t talk to you anymore.”
During the court hearing, it was revealed that a paramedic on the scene had seen Sneddon holding a phone in a brown case in John’s bedroom. The officer proceeded to steal the phone, another handset, and an Apple iPad.
John Green’s son, also named John, 40, had his father’s passwords and was able to track the devices, revealing they had been to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, the town’s police station, and Inverclyde Royal Hospital—all places Sneddon had visited while on duty.
John reported the findings to the police, which led to a Professional Standards investigation. Officers obtained a search warrant and went to Sneddon’s home, where he lived with his wife and children, and recovered John’s Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and the other stolen items.
