30/11/2011
Source: Cornish Guardian
A FORMER Police Community Support Officer who served in Bodmin has been cleared of lying about his past in order to get his job.
Cador Pendry, from Wadebridge, spoke yesterday of his relief at being cleared of the charges which he claimed were made against him after he made serious complaints about the police.
Mr Pendry, 54, had been accused of failing to declare two prior convictions when he applied to become a PCSO working in the town.
The charges against him were dropped when he appeared at Exeter Crown Court on Monday and the prosecution offered no evidence.
Mr Pendry had been accused of earning £70,000 by deception during the three years in which he worked as a PCSO for Devon and Cornwall Police.
Denied
Mr Pendry, of Middlewell Parc, Wadebridge, denied receiving a pecuniary advantage by deception.
He had been accused of not disclosing convictions for the possession of an offensive weapon and threatening behaviour when he applied for the PCSO job.
He said yesterday he had been advised by his legal team not to go into the background of the case, but spoke of his ordeal and the support he had received from a wide range of people in Bodmin with whom he had worked while a PCSO.
"This has gone on for 21 months, and the stress that has been put on my family has been horrendous," he said.
"My wife almost had a breakdown over it, but the amount of support I've received from people such as teachers and councillors – people I worked with – has been tremendous.
"Because of the case I've lost work contracts and a lot of money, but I'm relieved it's all over and I can now get back to living a normal life."
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