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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Policeman sacked for keeping gold coin proceeds | Policeman sacked for keeping gold coin proceeds |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| A policeman who found £15,000 of gold coins with his metal detector has been sacked for cheating the landowner out of a share of the treasure. | A policeman who found £15,000 of gold coins with his metal detector has been sacked for cheating the landowner out of a share of the treasure. |
| PC David Cockle last month admitted theft and keeping the proceeds of the sale of coins found in a Norfolk field. | PC David Cockle last month admitted theft and keeping the proceeds of the sale of coins found in a Norfolk field. |
| A misconduct hearing was told Cockle had agreed to a 50:50 split with the farmer of anything valuable he found. | |
| Norfolk Chief Constable Simon Bailey, who dismissed Cockle, said it "was one of the grossest breaches of trust". | Norfolk Chief Constable Simon Bailey, who dismissed Cockle, said it "was one of the grossest breaches of trust". |
| Mr Bailey said it was clear Cockle was allowed to use the land to search for treasure "because he was a police officer and the farmer liked the idea of a police officer on his land". | Mr Bailey said it was clear Cockle was allowed to use the land to search for treasure "because he was a police officer and the farmer liked the idea of a police officer on his land". |
| The chief constable added Cockle had let the force down by keeping hold of the medieval coins and "most importantly let the the farmer down and the wider public". | The chief constable added Cockle had let the force down by keeping hold of the medieval coins and "most importantly let the the farmer down and the wider public". |
| The hearing was told the breaches amounted to gross misconduct with the only appropriate outcome being immediate dismissal. | The hearing was told the breaches amounted to gross misconduct with the only appropriate outcome being immediate dismissal. |
| The PC, who did not attend the hearing, expressed his remorse and apologies in a written statement presented by the Police Federation. | The PC, who did not attend the hearing, expressed his remorse and apologies in a written statement presented by the Police Federation. |
| Cockle, 51, who now lives in Leigh, Lancashire, will be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court next month after criminal proceedings were brought against him by the Norfolk force. | Cockle, 51, who now lives in Leigh, Lancashire, will be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court next month after criminal proceedings were brought against him by the Norfolk force. |
| As well as pleading guilty to theft, Cockle faced three counts of handling criminal property. | As well as pleading guilty to theft, Cockle faced three counts of handling criminal property. |
| All treasure has to be declared and a coroner decides if valuables of unknown ownership found hidden should be the property of the Crown. | All treasure has to be declared and a coroner decides if valuables of unknown ownership found hidden should be the property of the Crown. |
| The 10 coins found by Cockle were known as Merovingian Tremissis. | The 10 coins found by Cockle were known as Merovingian Tremissis. |
| Only about 100 of the coins, which were made in France and the low countries of Europe in the early 7th Century, have ever been found in modern-day Britain, a spokesman for Norwich Castle Museum said. | Only about 100 of the coins, which were made in France and the low countries of Europe in the early 7th Century, have ever been found in modern-day Britain, a spokesman for Norwich Castle Museum said. |
| During the period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the 7th Century, coins were not much used until the introduction of the Tremissis. | During the period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the 7th Century, coins were not much used until the introduction of the Tremissis. |