Cop’s cocaine dealing arose out of drug-fuelled affair with fellow officer, court hears

A TOP End cop was having a drug-fuelled affair with another officer while sourcing and supplying 34g of coke to her — including while on duty at the Palmerston police station — a court has heard

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A TOP End cop was having a drug-fuelled affair with another officer while sourcing and supplying 34g of coke to her — including while on duty at the Palmerston police station — a court has heard.

Former NT Police constable and Palmerston Raiders rugby league coach Daniel Keelan has pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court to supplying Brittany-Rose Kettle with less than a commercial quantity of cocaine.

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In a sentencing hearing on Friday, Crown prosecutor Naomi Loudon said Keelan supplied cocaine to Kettle a total of 18 times during a six-month period last year, including once in a police car and “a number of other times” while on duty.

“He would keep it in his wallet,” she said.

“Prior to commencing (work) he would give it to her because he didn’t want it on himself during his shift.”

Keelan has also pleaded guilty to stealing his service weapon, which he kept in a bedside drawer and Ms Loudon said he could easily have carried the gun on him at any time.

“He was in possession of a small Glock, the purpose of him being issued with that Glock was that it was easily concealable while he was carrying out his duties,” she said.

“It was in his possession and at any time he could have had that on his person.”

Defence barrister Jon Tippett QC said Keelan’s cocaine dealing was unrelated to his job as a police officer and arose “absolutely out of the relationship and not for any other reason”.

“This was a situation where a man and his partner entered into a relationship for a period of approximately six months, in the course of that relationship they shared some cocaine,” he said.

Mr Tippett said Keelan’s wife of 26 years remained supportive of him but “the humiliation involved in all of this for this man has been grave”.

“They are endeavouring to keep together the very lengthy and very productive relationship that has brought up three children particularly well,” he said.

Former police officer Daniel Keelan leaves the Supreme Court on bail on Friday.

“(He) has made significant steps towards resolving the obvious hurt and disappointment that members of his family have experienced as a result of his behaviour.”

Mr Tippett said his client had been “well regarded” as a police officer before he was “given the opportunity to resign” and tendered a number of references from past and present cops, including a superintendent.

“His references come from all over the place, community groups, police and so on — you don’t get a bundle of references like that unless you’ve done something right,” he said.

“The fall from grace, of course, is significant and obviously one that has been very, very difficult for him to address privately and of course, publicly.”

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Kettle was arrested on the same day as Keelan but later pleaded guilty in the Darwin Local Court to possessing a small amount of cannabis and walked away without a conviction.

The 28-year-old former Senior Constable’s lawyer, Ray Murphy, told the court she was only looking after the cannabis for a friend and had resigned due to her “shame and embarrassment”.

Keelan returns to court for sentencing next month.

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