A former highly thought-of police officer who was jailed last year for possessing illegal weapons has avoided a second spell inside despite committing a fraud on the NHS.

While in the Met Police, Dexter Coleman-Mitchell was on duty at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding in 2011 and was commended for bravery in the London riots three months later.

After quitting, he and friend Samuel Fathers falsely claimed payment for administration shifts with Camden and Islington NHS Trust, Maidstone Crown Court was told.

Fathers was a line manager with NHS Professionals (NHSP), a private company which provides specialist doctors, nurses, midwives, administrative and other healthcare professionals for temporary work.

Between November 2013 and December 2015, Coleman-Mitchell, 25, and Fathers, 29, both from Northfleet, took £26,602 and shared the amount.

Fathers used his share to pay for his father’s medical bills.

Prosecutor Bridget Todd said Fathers booked Coleman-Mitchell to work a shift and then logged into a computer as a matron to authorise it.

But no work was actually ever carried out.

The fraud was discovered when the trust notified NHSP of a flexible worker by that name who was being incorrectly booked to work and erroneously appearing on time sheets.

“The shifts had been booked by Fathers,” said Miss Todd. “He explained that he had probably booked a large number of shifts in one tranche and therefore made some errors.

“Fathers said it was his responsibility to deal with it but never did so. There was then an internal investigation.”

Miss Todd said no money was taken directly from the NHS and the amount in the fraud had since been all repaid.

Fathers, of Black Eagle Drive, and Coleman-Mitchell, of Austin Road, admitted conspiracy to defraud Camden and Islington NHS Trust.

They were given eight months imprisonment suspended for two years and will have to complete 200 hours unpaid work and abide by a three-month tagged curfew between 9pm and 7am.

They will also have to undergo a Thinking Skills group programme.

Judge Adele Williams told the pair, who now run Electronic Business Products in Gravesend, it was “a mean, thoroughly dishonest and cynical fraud”.

She added: “To deprive the NHS, even indirectly, of cash and funds when it is hard-pressed and needs every penny available is a despicable act.”

But the judge said she could suspend the sentence because they had shown appropriate remorse.

Fathers and Coleman-Mitchell were each ordered to pay £475 court costs.