A POLICEMAN stole four PlayStation games which were seized from a murder suspect as exhibits in a major crime investigation, a court heard.

Detective Constable David Wright, 39, is accused of taking the Sony games back to his house after he was entrusted to keep them safe, in case they were needed in evidence in a criminal trial.

The games belonged to a defendant who was subsequently convicted of wounding with intent in connection with the death of Accrington teenager Sajjad Mahmood.

Sajjad, of Charter Street, Accrington, was discovered battered to death in Hagg Lodge, close to the Asda store in Hyndburn Road after a major police investigation into his disappearance.

Wright, who lives in Rishton, denied theft at Manchester Crown Court.

Richard Mansell, prosecuting, said Wright was a detective constable with the Lancashire Constabulary in March 1998 when Accrington and Rossendale College student Sajjad was reported missing by his mother.

A murder inquiry was launched on April after police divers discovered his body in the mill lake. He had been beaten to death.

Three men were subsequently tried for the murder, including Wayne Kelly. Kelly was cleared of murder but convicted of wounding with intent at Preston Crown Court in May 1999. He received a six-year jail sentence -- three years for the attack on Mr Mahmood and three for other matters.

Before the trial in February 1999, Mr Mahmood's family made an official complaint about the way police handled matters when they first reported their son's disappearance.

Initially Lancashire police's own disciplinary and complaints branch began investigating, including the management of exhibits.

Mr Mansell said: "A detailed check was then made by Greater Manchester Police. They found many failings in the system of recording and logging exhibits. Some items logged were missing -- these were the Sony PlayStation games." In April 1998 two officers working on the Mahmood murder inquiry visited the home of Wayne Kelly's mother in Percival Street, Accrington.

Mrs Kelly handed them a PlayStation belonging to her son and various accessories including ten games in a plastic bag.

It had been claimed Kelly had been using the PlayStation with Mahmood at the house in Princess Street where he was subsequently beaten to death.

The games were taken to Accrington police station where they were logged and labelled as exhibits in the usual way. In the end the games were not considered to be crucial evidence and were not used in the trial.

(Proceeding)