Jailed West Yorkshire Police worker ordered to pay back money

A former police worker and a director of a garage who were jailed for a combined total of almost four years have been ordered to pay back over £81,000 between them.
Samantha CooperSamantha Cooper
Samantha Cooper

Michael Blamire, 51, of Wakefield Road Ossett and Samantha Cooper, 50, of Denby Lane, Wakefield were found guilty of committing fraud by abuse of position at Leeds Crown Court in June 2016.

Cooper worked as the manager of West Yorkshire Police’s Vehicle Recovery Unit and secured lucrative vehicle recovery contracts worth £2.5m with garage director Blamire.

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Blamire was jailed for 14 months and Cooper was jailed for 30 months.

Blamire has been ordered to pay £80,000, with Cooper owing £1,209.

They now have three months to pay the cash after a hearing at Leeds Crown Court this week.

If Blamire fails to pay he will face a further 12 months in prison.

The debt they owe will never go away until paid in full.

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Money recovered will be divided between the home office, HM Courts and Tribunal Service, the Crown Prosecution Service and West Yorkshire Police.

A spokesman for the Economic Crime Unit at West Yorkshire Police, said: “Cooper and Blamire gained from their criminal activity and now they are finding that they have to repay those ill-gotten gains.

“They jeopardised their own careers and business by entering into a criminal relationship which resulted in a serious fraud.

“West Yorkshire Police will seek out any person who seeks to abuse their position for their own personal and professional gain.”

Cooper was immediately suspended from the force when the allegations first came to light and the contract with the vehicle recovery operator was terminated.

Cooper no longer works for the force.