ABC News: Nicholas Hynes
)A former NT police officer supplied cocaine to a colleague while on duty in his police car, the NT Supreme Court has heard.
Daniel Keelan, 43, last month pleaded guilty to three charges — intentionally supplying a dangerous substance, possessing a trafficable quantity of a dangerous drug in a public place and stealing a police-issued pistol and ammunition.
In a submissions hearing today, Crown prosecutor Naomi Loudon said Keelan — who resigned from the police force after his arrest last year — also supplied cocaine outside the Palmerston Police Station on a number of occasions.
"The community must have confidence in our police officers to carry out their duties with honesty and integrity and, really, offending of this nature brings the whole of the Northern Territory Police into disrepute."
Defence lawyer Jon Tippett QC argued his client's occupation was not relevant to the cocaine offences, and the supply of cocaine — between two consenting adults — did not lead to drugs spreading through the community.
ABC News: Hamish Harty
)"The [character references] describe a person who is of positive character, who has contributed to his community, and a person who has faced this particular situation with a very significant degree of openness and honesty," Mr Tippett said.
In arguing for a term of imprisonment, Ms Loudon said the theft of a pistol, which had been issued to Keelan more than three years ago but never returned, was a serious enough offence on its own.
"That offending does arise completely out of his employment as a police officer, and that must be coupled with [the fact] he was in possession of a small Glock, the purpose of him being issued with that Glock is that it was easily concealable while carrying out his duties."
Keelan remains on bail ahead of his sentencing before Justice Jenny Blokland next month.
"I won't remand Mr Keelan today but he does need to be aware that obviously a term of imprisonment is being seriously considered," Justice Blokland said.
Keelan was arrested late last year over the supply of cocaine to a colleague on 18 occasions over a five-month period between April and September 2020.
