Police officer ‘took drugs before crash that killed dog’

George Shearer allegedly took tablets he had seized from a suspect.

A police officer has been accused of taking drugs seized from a suspect before causing a crash that killed a dog and seriously injured a man.

George Shearer, 49, was involved in a crash on the A90 near Auchiries, Aberdeen, in February 2017.

Prosecutors claim he had taken “tablets” he’d seized from a suspect earlier that day.

Shearer appeared for a short hearing at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday.

He is accused of causing serious injury to Gordon Morrison by dangerous driving.

It is alleged he got behind the wheel “while under the influence of controlled drugs”.

The charge claims he lost control of his van and went onto the wrong side of the road into the path of Mr Morrison’s vehicle.

Mr Morrison is said to have been severely injured to the danger of his life and permanent impairment, while a police dog was fatally hurt.

A separate charge alleges Shearer did “neglect or violate his duties” as a police constable.

It is claimed he did “stop and search” a man in Aberdeen on February 28 and found a number of tablets, said to be the drugs zoplicone and xanax.

Shearer is accused of seizing the haul, but then returning a “quantity” to the man before keeping an amount for himself for “personal use” and taking them.

The charge further states he did “fail to take any other lawful measures” to investigate a criminal offence.

Shearer faces five other charges of neglecting his duties.

It is claimed he did “fail to lodge” alleged substances at a police station following a number of searches of suspects in Aberdeen.

This is said to have happened between September 2015 and January 2017.

Tony Lenehan, defending, told the court: “George Shearer pleads not guilty to the charges.”

Lord Turnbull fixed a trial due to begin in June in Aberdeen and Shearer, of Alford, Aberdeenshire, was released in bail.

Bail for Shearer, of Alford, Aberdeenshire, was continued meantime.

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