Disgraced West Yorkshire Police inspector must pay £135,000 over drug stash found at his home

A disgraced West Yorkshire Police inspector has been ordered to pay £135,000 after more than half a million pounds worth of drugs were found at his home.

Keith Boots, 56, is serving a 26-year prison sentence over a major drug supply conspiracy which also involved his son Ashley.

Boots was described by a judge as a “disgrace to the uniform” when he was sentenced in March last year.

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Ashley and Keith Boots.Ashley and Keith Boots.
Ashley and Keith Boots.

A jury at Leeds Crown Court was told Boots had enough drugs to keep “a 1970s rock star, and his band, entertained for weeks”, including a large amount of cocaine in his washing machine.

Keith and Ashley Boots, who was jailed for 24 years, stole the drugs in order to put them back on to the streets of West Yorkshire for their own financial gain.

The pair appeared before the court today to face a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

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Nicholas De La Poer, prosecuting, said Keith Boots had benefited to the value of £556,400 as a result of his offending.

Ashley and Keith Boots.Ashley and Keith Boots.
Ashley and Keith Boots.

The court heard he has assets available of £135,280.

He was ordered to pay the sum within three months or face a further 18 months in prison.

The court heard over £100,000 is already in the hands of the police and includes the sale of a property.

Ashley’s benefit figure was £518,909.

He was has no available assets and was ordered to pay £1.

Mr De La Poer described Ashley as “a man of straw” at an earlier hearing.

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At their trial last year, jurors were told Keith Boots had been a “trusted” inspector.

The nine-week trial heard that when police raided Keith Boots’ Bradford home in December 2014, they found cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and cannabis worth around £700,000, including 24lb (11kg) of cocaine “jammed” into his washing machine.

Keith Boots, who had been a West Yorkshire Police officer since 1990 and an inspector for more than 10 years, stole drugs from the stores he managed at Trafalgar House police station, in the centre of Bradford.

Officers smashed their way into his home in Norman Lane, Eccleshill, after a colleague noticed a quantity of cocaine missing from the station store.

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Keith Boots was found guilty of a range of offences, including conspiracy to steal drugs, conspiracy to supply drugs, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, theft and possessing drugs with intent to supply.

Ashley Boots, 31, of Weatherhouse Terrace, Halifax, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs, conspiracy to steal and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

He admitted six charges of possessing drugs with intent to supply and one count of possessing ammunition.

Ashley Boots also pleaded guilty to two further separate offences of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs

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The court heard he was an “established drug dealer” with a number of cautions for drugs offences.

Judge Geoffrey Marson, QC, said Keith Boots’ “arrogance” that no-one would question the actions of a police inspector was his “downfall”.

He said: “One of the consequences of a senior police officer turning to crime is it undermines confidence in the police service.”

“It’s a betrayal of those decent, honest officers who work diligently in order to detect crime.”

“Sadly, the only conclusion I can draw is your behaviour has been thoroughly dishonest and manipulative.

“You are a disgrace to the uniform you once wore.”