[Image: Gencraft / AI]
A Cape Town cop learned the hard way that you can’t police your way out of a shoplifting charge, especially when the loot is a trolley full of Woolies goodies.
Warrant Officer GF Madeley, once stationed at Nyanga Police Station, was given the boot from the South African Police Service after being caught red-handed trying to waltz out of Canal Walk with a fully-stocked trolley – without so much as tapping a card, nogal.
According to court papers, Madeley rolled into Woolworths in January 2022 with a trolley filled with empty bags (a bold prop choice), then loaded it with all sorts of merchandise before casually heading for the exit, IOL reported. When store security called him out, he didn’t play it cool. He may have bolted, but he didn’t get far.
He was swiftly arrested and charged with misconduct, theft, and for dragging SAPS’s name through the mud.
At a hearing the next month, Madeley fessed up. In his defence, he mentioned his nineteen years of service, no prior convictions, and a cocktail of personal struggles, including financial stress and a bipolar disorder diagnosis. A psychiatric report even suggested he might have been “absent-minded” while playing supermarket sweep.
But SAPS wasn’t buying the sympathy card. They argued that his actions were “calculated and premeditated,” and that he had “ample opportunity” to own up when stopped. Instead, he tried to make a break for it, which screams he’s as guilty as they come.
Despite this, the disciplinary chairperson decided two months’ suspension without pay was punishment enough. SAPS called that slap on the wrist “a joke” (in slightly more legal terms) and marched the case to the Labour Court.
During the review, SAPS insisted that trust (the bedrock of any police job) had been completely shattered. No reasonable person, they argued, could look at this situation and think, “Yep, two months off seems fair.”
Acting Judge Deirdre Venter agreed, slamming the original ruling for ignoring how serious and premeditated the offence was.
“The first respondent (chairperson) failed to consider vital evidence related to the gravity of the offence and the trust relationship. Her conclusion regarding the sanction appears to contradict the facts and evidence and is unreasonable. Any reasonable decision-maker would have concluded that suspension without pay was too lenient and that dismissal was appropriate,” said Venter.
She also noted the lack of case law around police officers stealing things, not exactly the kind of legal frontier SAPS was hoping to explore.
In the end, the court tossed out the original ruling. “The sanction of suspension was not reasonable and is therefore replaced by an order that the employment of the second respondent (Madeley) could be terminated with immediate effect,” said Judge Venter.
So, next time you’re in Woolies and think no one’s watching, just remember: even cops get caught.
[Source: IOL]
