Met officer charged over alleged robbery of dead Italian actor

A Metropolitan Police officer has been charged with stealing money from the wallet of a deceased Italian actor.

Police officer Craig Carter allegedly stole money from the body of Claudio Gaetani, 45, after he suffered a heart attack while cycling in north London on September 8, 2022.

Gaetani, who has dwarfism, is said to have arrived in London the day before to attend a theatre festival at the Southbank Centre which showcases disabled artists from around the world.

When one of Gaetani's friends later collected her belongings from the Edmonton police station, she claimed money was missing from her wallet.

The Metropolitan Police subsequently opened an investigation.

Anti-corruption investigators then passed a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Pc Carter, who works for the Met's northern area command unit which covers Enfield and Haringey, has been suspended from duty.

He has been charged with theft by postal requisition and will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday.

Gianluca, a close friend of Mr Gaetani, told The Upsetter, a crime news site: “He is the kind of person you can fall in love with when you meet, absolutely cheerful and positive, even with his physical condition of dwarfism, he never said no to any adventure.