THREE YEARS BEHIND BARS FOR EX-COP

Used His Badge to Deal Drugs and Exploit Addicts

Former Vancouver police officer Peter Hodson's long "fall from grace"
finally hit bottom Thursday as he was sentenced to three years in
federal prison for using his badge to deal drugs and exploit
vulnerable addicts.

Provincial Court Judge Gregory Rideout's stern ruling stunned Hodson --
a father of four, former basketball star and active member of White
Rock's Christian community -- and his numerous supporters in court.

"Your remarkable fall from grace is a burden that will stay with you
for life," Rideout said, as Hodson bowed his head and his wife Sarah
burst into tears. She cried hysterically as Hodson was cuffed and led
away, and he teared up and waved goodbye.

The judge said mitigating factors for Hodson included 40 strong
character references, but stressed a denunciation "message must be
clearly sent that police officers," who commit "egregious" crimes like
Hodson's, will face severe penalties.

"The accused knowingly embarked upon his predatory criminal activities
with his eyes wide open," Rideout said.

The former university of b.c. basketball the VPD in April 2010 after a
months long undercover investigation into suspected drug dealing.

Hodson, now 33, had recruited addict Tyson Pappas to help sell pot in
the Downtown Eastside. The court heard that Hodson was bored with his
police job and sought thrills through crime, but the "profit motive"
was supreme, and he thoroughly planned his schemes and used the
"parlance" of drug dealers.

Hodson pleaded guilty in November 2010 to three charges related to
trafficking marijuana and breach of trust, for dealing drugs while in
uniform and using a police database to aid his operations.

On Thursday, before Rideout took the bench, Pappas sat in court
casually chatting with off-duty Vancouver cops, and watched Hodson
confidently walk through the gallery and shake hands with several supporters.

Pappas told The Province he wasn't impressed with Hodson's demeanour
or his chances for rehabilitation.

"He has his head high, going around shaking people's hands like he's
some sort of celebrity," Pappas said.

In an interview, Pappas described Hodson as a split personality prone
to big mood swings--warm and friendly sometimes, then becoming cold and
intimidating, and capable of threatening a torture session.

"You can't go from a well-off home, good family, sports, smart, police
officer, to suddenly [dealing drugs]," Pappas said, pointing to his
own head and heart, and adding, "there's something wrong there.
There's another guy inside and he just started to come out.

"I've been on the street longer than he's been alive, "Pappas said."
I've seen a range of people, and I think he's just getting started."

According to Pappas, Hodson's accessing police files allowed him to
learn that Pappas previously had been tortured by drug dealers in the
Downtown Eastside, and leverage the information.

Pappas, who is smart and affable in person, says he has reduced his
ongoing drug use since helping to bust Hodson

He said he turned to a life of drugs and crime after being tortured by
his mother at a young age.

In court, Rideout said Downtown Eastside addicts deserve to be
protected by police, not exploited.

"I find that it is also aggravating that [Hodson] recruited Pappas to
be his dealer . . . Pappas was clearly a vulnerable Downtown Eastside
resident and one who would be psychologically overpowered by the
accused," Rideout said.

Rideout noted that in January 2010 Pappas was stabbed by a man [and]
"remained concerned that he was stabbed as a result of his failure to
provide money to [Hodson]relating to the marijuana. [But] I do not
associate the stabbing to [Hodson]."

Rideout accepted a psychological opinion that Hodson was "a paradox .
. . [who said], 'I got away with cheating, lying and stealing all my
life, so I thought I always would.'"

Outside court, several Hodson supporters pushed journalists who were
trying to photograph his wife.

Prosecutor Joe Bellows said the judge seemed especially bothered by
the diversion of police resources and undermining of police work in
the Downtown Eastside, directly caused by Hodson's abusing his power
for criminal gain. "The sentence was not harsh, it was fitting,"
Bellows said.

In an interview, Hodson's lawyer, Vince Michaels, said that following
Rideout's ruling, "I think there was a level of shock and
disappointment, but I'm also sure [Hodson and his family] will regroup."

Michaels said undoubtedly jail will be hard on Hodson, the clean-cut,
former cop.

"Steps will be taken to ensure his safety, which might mean he's held
in a more isolated form of confinement," Michaels said.

Michaels went out of his way to stress that in about 30 years of
practice he has never been so impressed with a client.

"[Hodson] strikes me as a very singular individual," Michaels said.
"He will do his time, get back on his feet and will be back to giving
back to society."