by Keith Hunt

A disgraced police sergeant who asked his community police officer lover to take his speeding points has been sent to jail.

Former Medway cop Paul Earwaker, who became a cabbie after being ejected from the force for ticket-touting, not only involved PCSO Sharon Kaur, he made a similar request to his father-in-law Trevor King.

All three appeared together in the dock at Maidstone Crown Court after admitting perverting the course of justice.

Earwaker, of Hopgarden Road, Tonbridge, was jailed for six months, while Kaur, of Academy Drive, Gillingham, and King, of Barchester Way, Tonbridge, were sentenced to four months imprisonment suspended for a year.

Kaur, 29, and 58-year-old King were also ordered to complete 200 hours unpaid work.

Judge Jeremy Carey said Earwaker, 39, had perverted the course of justice twice following speeding offences in December 2010 and May this year.

“Perverting the course of justice is always regarded by the criminal courts as very serious indeed, and so serious that it is only in exceptional cases immediate imprisonment is not the inevitable result,” he said.

“There must be in such cases a substantial element of deterrence.”

University-educated Kaur, who now works for a security company, had her judgement clouded by her feelings for Earwaker, said her lawyer Sarah Read. The relationship was now over.

“It is a tragedy she appears before you,” she told the judge. “She had aspirations and hoped for a career in the police force. She hoped to become a sergeant.”

Earwaker, who worked for Tonbridge Taxis, had asked King to get his elderly father Leslie, 85, to take his speeding points.

Jonathan Mole, for Earwaker, said the father-of-four, who has split from his wife, committed the offences during a difficult period in his life.

“He deeply regrets his actions, involving the two co-defendants,” he said. “He realises the impact as a previous serving police officer.”

"you have fallen very far from grace. you knew the score" – judge jeremy carey

Earwaker had in 2009 tried to sell tickets to an undercover officer at Arsenal’s ground. He was fined and later left the police.

Mr Mole said the only way Earwaker could continue being a taxi driver when caught speeding was to break the law.

“He simply panicked,” he added. “The effect of a custodial sentence will be draconian for those around him.”

Judge Carey said the law was brought into disrepute when such offences were committed.

“It hardly needs to be said that you persisting in further offences makes your position substantially more serious than your co-defendants,” he told Earwaker.

“You went to them for help knowing you were involving them in criminality. You were a police sergeant and one who gave good service.

“You have fallen very far from grace. You knew the score. Involvement of others is a serious aggravating feature.”

He told Kaur he had to consider with great care whether to send her to prison.
“One consideration I had in mind was you were a serving police officer at the time,” he said.

“Generally speaking, the expectation is you are in an exceptional position where you cannot call on the mercy of the court.

“You knew just how serious your offending was."