UH/0972

Disgraced Omagh cop tries to sell his story

DISGRACED former policeman Derek Robinson, recently released from jail, tried to sell his story for £10,000 and later claimed he was prepared to donate the money to the Omagh Bomb Fund.
The former Omagh based 'smiling' Inspector, contacted two Sunday newspapers because he needed the money after being released from prison.
And it is now understood that Robinson used his time for a potential money spinner behind bars to write a book on his life as a bent copper.
The 47-year-old policeman had served a jail sentence for a corruption scam and on his release last week contacted two Sunday newspapers saying he was willing to sell his story of cheating and double dealing to the highest bidder.
Robinson, who ran a used car scam from Omagh police station, was released from Magilligan jail last week.
The ex-inspector who served 12 months of a two year sentence rang a number of other weekly papers offering to give interviews and pose for pictures for money.
The fraudster also claimed to the paper that he was trying to raise cash for the Omagh bomb appeal fund.
It is understood he had hoped to raise up to £20,000 but eventually made do with just £500 from a London newspaper.
However, that newspaper is said to have insisted on making the cheque payable directly to the fund.
Robinson who was nicknamed 'Monkey Mask' by fellow inmates, after a newspaper revealed he was forced to shovel monkey dung during his stint at the former Causeway Coast Safari park.
He was also dubbed the 'laughing policeman' because he had smiled while waiting to be sentenced last February.
Robinson was said to have also phoned the newspaper telling them he was out of jail.
He boasted to the newspaper "I'm a very high profile. Spotlight did a whole programme on me" and asked for a donation for an interview.
And when the paper suggested donating £200 for such an interview, Robinson was alleged to have laughed saying, "I earned more than that in a day as a police inspector."
"You'll have to add a nought or two to that," he allegedly retorted.
The Sunday World said it was approached by Robinson about an 'inside story about the police.
He told Sunday World "I'm out of jail now and I want to tell the real story of what happened.
"The newspapers don't know the half of it and I know it would make interesting reading, but you'll have to pay for it," said Robinson.
"If you want to do two pages about me, then I want £10,000 and I want it in cash, I don't want cheques or anything like that," added Robinson.
Robinson was caught after police discovered he was running a racket by fixing cases at Omagh Magistrates Court three years ago.
He demanded cash from people accused of crimes.
But his media friendly attitude was in marked contrast to his bid to gag the BBC last year.
He failed in a High Court bid to stop Stoplight broadcasting police recordings of his telephone conversations in which" he bragged about his crimes.
Robinson was netted by the police following a 15-month undercover operation.
The £46,000 per year inspector admitted 17 offences including fraud, interfering with the judicial system, failing to prosecute a case properly, false insurance claims and car mileage clocking.
Jailing him, Justice McLaughlin said Robinson had allowed "blatant professional misconduct and dishonesty, motivated by greed" to become an integral part of his life.
Meanwhile Robinson's police girlfriend who confessed to perverting the course of justice is still on the PSNI payroll.
Constable Jocelyn Serplus (34) is still awaiting to be called before a disciplinary hearing to see if she has lost her £25,000 a year job, after her conviction at Omagh Crown Court last year.
She was given 100 hours community service for perverting the course of justice.
She was prosecuted for writing a bogus letter for Robinson to present to a magistrate, on behalf of one of his pals who was facing a motoring charge.
Serplus is currently suspended pending the outcome of further disciplinary proceedings.