Metal detector cop cheats farmer after finding £15,000 gold coins in field

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A dishonest policeman found ten historic gold coins while metal detecting and cheated a landowner by selling them for £15,000, a court heard.

PC David Cockle, 50, had a contract with the landowner which allowed him to search his fields in return for splitting the proceeds of anything he unearthed.


But the officer turned amateur treasure hunter decided not to honour the deal after finding the coins dating back to the 6th or 7th century.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how he did not tell the landowner about how he dug up the ancient Merovingian Tremissis coins from Gaul which is now France.

Instead the Norfolk officer secretly sold the coins to a dealer for £15,000 and kept the entire amount, the court heard.

Cockle also failed to report his find to the Norfolk coroner who would have had to consider if the haul was counted as a treasure trove.

The coins which he sold in three batches over 14 months are believed to have been part of a larger hoard.

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