An on duty Northumbria Police officer who was found drunk in a police van has been found guilty of misconduct in a public office.
Helen Kane, 38, was over three times the legal drink-drive limit when a dog walker found her asleep behind the wheel of a parked police van on November 3, last year. The marked van, which also contained three police dogs, was seen parked in the middle of a junction on Waggs Lane in Whickham, near Gateshead with its engine still running. When the member of the public took a look inside, Kane could be seen "slumped" against the driver side of the car with a bottle of white wine between her legs.
Kane of Belmont, County Durham, stood trial last week at Teesside Crown Court charged with misconduct in a public office - which she denied. But on Friday after less than an hour of deliberation, Kane was found guilty of the charge by a jury.
