A POLICE officer stole from a supermarket then tried to cover it up by producing his badge, a court heard.

Richard Pendlebury, a custody sergeant at Bury Police Station, went into Asda in Pilsworth Road, Pilsworth, with his partner and co-defendant Zoe Wilkinson in September, 2014. They are alleged to have stolen food and clothes.

At the start of a trial at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday, prosecution counsel Richard Haworth told Judge Mark Brown how Pendlebury, aged 42, was challenged by a security guard outside.

“Mr Pendlebury put the bag (he was holding) down before taking him by the arm and producing a warrant card,” said Mr Haworth. He added: “He told the security guard that he was an off-duty police officer.”

Pendlebury then assaulted the security guard by grabbing his arm, it was claimed in court.

A few minutes later, Pendlebury admitted to playing a role in stealing the items — a woman’s top, dress and shoes, a sandwich and apple worth a combined £25.25 — and offered to pay for the items and never do it again.

Mr Haworth said Pendlebury, a police officer of 20 years, asked Asda staff not to call police, saying it would “end his career” with the police.

However, store manager Leanne Miller did alert police and an investigation began.

Then in October, 2014, a woman known to Zoe Wilkinson delivered a typed note to Rochdale Police Station claiming she had witnessed the Asda security guard grab Wilkinson, aged 30, leaving her “screaming and crying”.

Mr Haworth said the woman went on to give a formal statement to police, which, it is alleged, turned out to be fabricated, as the woman’s mobile phone records indicated she was not at Asda at the time.

Police also recovered text messages indicating the woman had been asked by Pendlebury and Wilkinson to lie to police for them, the court heard.

The court also heard a transcript of an apparent telephone call between Pendlebury and a member of staff at Bury Police station.

Mr Haworth read told the judge that Pendlebury had told a colleague that he had had a “nightmare with Zoe” who had “told them everything between text messages”.

Pendlebury went on to say, that he “might have to take a hit” for her in relation to the allegations, it was claimed.

The court heard how Pendlebury and Wilkinson had, on several occasions, given mainly ‘no comment’ interviews to police though, on one occasion, Wilkinson gave police a prepared statement to say she felt like the victim of a witch hunt and that she had no confidence in Greater Manchester Police or its investigating officers.

Pendlebury denies theft, assault, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and two counts of intending to pervert the course of justice.

Wilkinson denies two counts of intending to pervert the course of justice.

Proceeding.