Ex-Detective Spared Jail After Deliberately Getting Pregnant

Clare Davenport, a 52-year-old former detective, received a suspended prison sentence for her role in a major smuggling operation. She admitted to money laundering, while charges of conveying items into prisons were left on file. The court heard that Davenport, alongside her estranged husband Peter King and two other men, was involved in smuggling parcels valued at over £1 million to inmates across various prisons in England.

The profits from this criminal enterprise were reportedly used to fund holidays to Dubai and Spain, and to cover the costs of their daughter's private education. Davenport, who had served 29 years as a detective and was once named 'Officer of the Year', was suspended by Staffordshire Police when the smuggling inquiry uncovered incriminating text messages and evidence of her IVF treatments abroad.

Judge Richard Bond sentenced Davenport to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered her to complete 150 hours of unpaid work. He cited the needs of her two young children, including a baby and a nine-year-old with health issues, as a significant factor in his decision. The judge acknowledged her past service but described her behaviour as 'contemptible' and warned her that any future offenses would result in immediate custody.