POLICE DRUG DUO 'WORST'

TWO detectives instigated Australia's most serious case of police
drug corruption when they teamed up to traffic heroin worth up to
$1.5 million, a court heard yesterday. Former drug squad Sen-Det
Glenn Sadler, 41, earned more than $200,000 from illegal drug deals
and former Det-Sgt Stephen Allan Cox, 42, received in excess of
$22,000, the Supreme Court was told.

In September, a jury found them guilty of conspiring to traffic a
commercial quantity of heroin in 1999-2002.

In April a co-conspirator, former Sen-Det Ian Ferguson, 38, was
sentenced to 12 years' jail, with a minimum term of eight years,
after being found guilty of money laundering.

Yesterday prosecutor Michael Tovey, QC, told the court Cox and Sadler
were the initiators of "the most serious incidence (of police drug
corruption) that we have seen in Australia".

Mr Tovey said Cox, the most senior of the trio, was a teacher, mentor
and trained leader who went "over to the other side"; his involvement
was graver than his associates'.

The court heard Cox began selling heroin to a drug dealer in August
1999. His direct involvement ceased when he left the police that December.

But he remained in the background, assisting his two colleagues "no
doubt with his own interests at heart", Mr Tovey said.

Mr Tovey said the trio sold in excess of 10kg of heroin with a
wholesale value of up to $1.5 million. Pecuniary penalties ordering
the men to repay funds would be sought.

Lawyer Brent Young, for Cox, urged the judge to impose a sentence
shorter than Ferguson's, saying any benefit to his client "remains
speculative".

The Cox family did not live extravagantly, owning two modest cars, a
caravan and a house, he said.

George Georgiou, for Sadler, said his client had been a good and
respected family man and worker.

Sadler had worked extraordinarily long hours and was "prepared to
risk his own life and tackle an armed offender in the course of his
employment", he said.

Sadler had already paid a high price in the shame and humiliation of
his conviction and would miss a significant part of his children's
lives while in jail, Mr Georgiou said.

Friends of Cox and Sadler said they were devoted family men.

Sadler's brother Rohan Sadler said he was "amazed and extremely
surprised" by the conviction, adding such behaviour was out of character.

Former supervisor Det Sen-Sgt John Lowry said the married father of
two was "keen, hardworking, (and) dedicated".

Robert Patterson testified that Cox, a married father of three sons,
was a quiet, honest man who put his family "first and last".

Character witness Wayne Rothery said Cox was a man of integrity.

Justice Stephen Kaye remanded Cox and Sadler for sentencing on
November 24.