A man caught up a police corruption probe has pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs and inciting an alleged ice-addicted police officer to hand over confidential police intelligence for the purpose of tracking down a drug debt.
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Dean Murphy, 39, of Seddon, was using a collapsed car repairs business as a base for a drug-trafficking enterprise, while using a serving police officer to run surveillance for him and make arrest warrants disappear, according to a police summary tendered in court.
On Monday, Murphy pleaded guilty to inciting a police officer to give him documents revealing the locations of two people that had been accessed through the police database in April 2013.
He also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by conspiring with the police officer and arranging for him to fraudulently execute warrants in the name of a co-accused linked to his drug business after the man failed to appear in court on drugs and traffic charges.
After he executed the warrant the officer then destroyed the paperwork, "for the matters never to end up being heard before a court," the tendered police summary states.
Finally, Murphy also pleaded guilty to trafficking crystal methamphetamine from August 2012 to April 2013 and making a threat to kill a person in April 2013.
He pleaded not guilty to the remainder of about 40 charges against him and was remanded in custody to face court again on September 18.
The court previously heard allegations that a 42-year-old senior constable then attached to Fitzroy police station accessed the police Law Enforcement Assistance Program to help Murphy find people who owed him money for drugs.
Police believe the officer was using ice and trading police information and car registration checks in exchange for the drug as far back as 2009, the summary tendered in court reveals.
The former officer's arrest in April 2013 came after Taskforce Keel was created to investigate serious police leaks and suspected links to criminal gangs, after confidential police files were found at a Dromana home when police attended to do a welfare check on a woman.
Victoria Police suspended eight officers last year – six from the Fitzroy station – after thousands of pages of confidential police documents were found at three properties.
Several officers were suspected of involvement with criminal activity and some have been disciplined internally, although just one has been charged, a magistrate heard at a previous court appearance.
The former officer at the centre of the investigation pleaded not guilty to more than 50 charges including perverting the course of justice, theft, dealing with proceeds of crime, child pornography, firearms and drugs, in May.
Keel Taskforce's Detective Sergeant Jarrod Weddle previously told the court the officer was an ice addict before joining the force and during his service who had taken ice as payment for helping Murphy track his debtors.
Some of the police information leaks that were the subject of charges relate to a man linked to the Haddara clan, who allegedly owed Murphy money for drugs, the court documents reveal.
The former officer is understood to have resigned last year.
Earlier this month Murphy was also charged with threatening to kill two investigating detectives after his girlfriend and co-accused, Chantelle McAleer, was jailed for a minimum of 10 months for possessing drugs and a gun.
Another co-accused on Monday pleaded not guilty to perverting the course of justice and two drugs charges.
He was committed to stand trial in the County Court with his next appearance set for Tuesday.
