Spain´s Supreme Court has upheld the dismissal of a highway patrolman who confessed to stealing a dead man´s credit card and using it to buy gasoline, go shopping and eat at restaurants.

The court says the officer´s behavior was “utterly incompatible” with his responsibility as a public servant to protect people and their property.

The Civil Guard officer acknowledged using the credit card 69 times after taking it from a man who died in a road accident in the northwest Galicia region in 2002. He spent euro1,323 ($1,900) but returned the money after getting caught.

The officer was identified only by his initials in a verdict released Wednesday.

He served a year-and-a-half in prison, and was later expelled from the Civil Guard.

via Spain – Policeman Who Stole Credit Car Loses Appeal – NYTimes.com.