A CORRUPT police constable who passed on confidential information to a Bury man linked to organised crime gangs has been jailed for 28 months.

A top judge told Mohammed Malik, a father-of-two, that his offending “represents a terrible fall from grace.”

Liverpool Crown Court heard his mental health had been affected by his involvement in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing.

But the judge pointed out his unhealthy relationship with co-accused Mohammed Anis had begun before that tragedy.

The two men had become friends after 35-year-old Anis lost several members of his family, including his very young child, in a road traffic accident in Saudi Arabi while on a pilgrimage.

Malik discovered this through the local community and as tradition went round to pay his respects and a friendship developed.

Malik, 37, of Newbold Hall Drive, Rochdale, pleaded guilty to three offences of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. Anis, of Randale Drive, Bury, denied the same offences but was convicted after a trial

He admitted to possessing cannabis with intent to supply involving almost a kilo of the drug, with an estimated street value of £7,500 found in the boot of his car in Salford.

Jailing the father-of-four for three years and 10 months Judge Andrew Menary, QC, the Recorder of Liverpool, said that references say that his family rely on him for everything.

But he told him, “The sad fact is that given your performance during the trial it is hard for me to believe anything you say about pretty much everything. Your evidence during the trial consisted of one daft account after another.”

The court heard Malik had obtained his “dream” job with Greater Manchester Police in March 2009 and became a role model giving encouragement and support to others interested in following the same path.

“This background makes it all the more tragic that you should have behaved in such a way in 2017 and 2018 to bring such shame and dishonour on you today,” said Judge Menary.

“For a period of about 12 months from February 2017 and January 2018 you were involved in a corrupt relationship with your friend Mohammed Anis.

“At times throughout this period you were each involved in the dishonest exchange of information and intelligence for money.

“This information came from confidential GMP computer systems and was of direct benefit to

organised and serious criminal groups or are likely to those such as you Mohammed Anis who were involved in the shady business of providing cars to organised criminals so that they could carry on their activities off the police radar,” said Judge Menary.

“Having a friendly police officer who could supply inside information was a potentially very useful resource.

“It allowed criminals or those supporting criminal activity to be forewarned of police interest in them and their illegal activities or simply to know what the police knew about them and their activities”, he said.

In September 2017 there was at least one shooting event in which two vehicles connected indirectly to Anis were damaged by bullets.

The events were discussed between the defendants and checked on the police intelligence system.

It was then Malik offered to check cars and people in connection with Anis’s business in exchange for money each month.

The two men also discussed Anis staging a fake burglary and claiming on his insurance. And when Anis did so Malik did nothing to discourage him.

John Harrison, for Anis, told the court his client was a lesser player. “He has facilitated a breach of trust but it is not his breach of trust.”

He said he was “the tool” of another man who is lucky not to have been prosecuted.