Breaking Bad-obsessed police officer jailed for masterminding drug trafficking operation
PC Daniel Aimson has been jailed for six years and four months
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A serving police officer who built a sophisticated cannabis factory and flooded the streets of Manchester and north Wales with the drug after he became obsessed with the TV series Breaking Bad has been jailed.
PC Daniel Aimson, 36, “revelled” in his life at the head of the drugs gang and posed in a Breaking Bad t-shirt at his cannabis farm, a court heard.
At Manchester Crown Court he was sentenced to six years and four months in jail while his “right hand man” Hussain Mozahem was jailed for three years.
He was also suspected of copying story lines from the hit show and was regularly filmed on his own CCTV system wearing a Walter White T-shirt – a character in the US crime drama who grows crystal meth.
At Manchester Crown Court Aimson admitted conspiracy to produce cannabis and misconduct in a public office.
Aimson was sacked by the Greater Manchester Police in February after he admitted his role in the conspiracy.
During the trial the court heard that Aimson stole the identity of a motorist he had stopped, and subsequently used it to lease the buildings in which he and others set up the farm.
From the outside the premises appeared to be a newsagents and a lettings bureau.
After they were tipped off, the police launched a surveillance operation to gather evidence on the comings and goings at the addresses.
When police carried out a raid, they discovered sophisticated cannabis farms with 165 plants across the two sites, estimated to be worth more than £84,000, the Manchester Evening News reported.
The farm set-up included 600 watt high-energy lamps, industrial odour neutralisers, blackout blinds and temperature and humidity monitors.
Prosecutor Owen Edwards told the court: “He [Aimson] was seen at various stages on his own CCTV hard drive to wear a T-shirt depicting the lead character Walt in the hit TV series called Breaking Bad.
“The character plays a respectable chemistry teacher who adopts a professional approach to the production and distribution of the drug crystal meth, and becomes in the process a highly successful drug dealer.
“In his various text messages it is clear that Aimson revelled in his double life as officer and criminal.”
Aimson’s brother in law Richard Grady was also jailed for 20 months. He provided the two properties used as the farm premises. The court heard that Grady only later learned what was happening in the buildings, but had gone along with it.
Another of Aimson’s brother-in-laws, Michael Hutton, provided contacts through which to sell the cannabis. He was jailed for three years and four months.
George Parkinson, who worked at the farms was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.
Christopher King, who provided the plants to grow was jailed for two years.
Jonathon Vaiders who sold the cannabis in Manchester was jailed for four years.