Peter Hodson, former Vancouver police officer, seen here during his time on the UBC Thunderbirds team.
A judge who sentenced a former Vancouver police officer to three years in prison for dealing drugs on the job says the man will be carrying the burden of his actions forever.
Peter Hodson, 33, pleaded guilty last November to illegally using the police database and trafficking in marijuana in the Downtown Eastside.
Hodson's wife broke down in tears Thursday before her husband was led away by sheriffs in B.C. provincial court.
Judge Gregory Rideout said police are held to a higher standard and that Mr. Hodson's case was not one of poor judgment but involved planning to make a profit.
"Your remarkable fall from grace is a burden you will carry for the rest of your life," he told Mr. Hodson.
In July, psychologist Dr. Michael Elterman spent several hours with Mr. Hodson and told the sentencing hearing that the man is a narcissist who admitted to having multiple affairs, cheating on his university exams and not caring if he lost his job.
Dr. Elterman said Mr. Hodson told him that he got away with cheating, lying and stealing all his life, so he thought he always would.
Judge Rideout said Mr. Hodson's crimes were motivated by a combination of thrill seeking and profit.
"His cheating, lying and stealing as self reported by the accused underpins the explanation for his criminal actions," he said in his ruling.
"Frenetic lifestyle, excessive use of alcohol, boredom and personal issues resulting in infidelity are factors that I have considered, but they do not depart from the fact that ultimately, his actions are those of a person who knowingly committed criminal acts."
Police began an investigation into Mr. Hodson after two significant events in February, 2010.
An informant told police Mr. Hodson was dealing drugs in the Downtown Eastside and a fellow officer reported that Mr. Hodson told him he was having extramarital affairs with two women and spending money taking them away on weekend trips.
At the time, Mr. Hodson had three children and his wife was pregnant with their fourth child.
The prosecution had suggested a fit sentence for Mr. Hodson would be four years in prison. Mr. Hodson's defence lawyer suggested a conditional sentence and house arrest.
Mr. Hodson was given two-year sentences each for the trafficking and breach of trust charges to be served concurrently. He was given a one-year-sentence to be served consecutively for illegally accessing PRIME, the police information database.
Outside court, Crown lawyer Joe Bellows said an aggravating factor was that Mr. Hodson sold drugs to people who were already struggling with addiction.
"Mr. Hodson was an officer in the Downtown Eastside, and that's where he committed his offences."
Mr. Hodson was arrested at police headquarters in April, 2010, and immediately fired after a joint investigation by members of his department and the RCMP.
About a year and a half earlier, Mr. Hodson was stopped for drunk driving.