Peabody cop’s lawyer claims tapes prove his innocence

PEABODY – Peabody police Lt. Edward Bettencourt’s attorney believes a set of tapes could help clear the veteran officer of charges that he allegedly gained unauthorized access to his co-worker’s civil service records in 2004.Attorney Douglas Louison told Suffolk Superior Court Judge Judith Fabricant Thursday that the commonwealth’s case against his client, Bettencourt, is circumstantial.According to Louison, audiotapes kept by the Peabody Police Department would establish that his client was in fact out of the station the night of Dec. 25, 2004, rather than at a computer, where prosecutors say he reportedly looked at 21 officers’ civil service exam scores.The prosecutor in the case, however, has expressed doubt that the tapes even exist.Fabricant scheduled a final pretrial conference hearing Feb. 26 to subpoena the people responsible for any recordings to find out where the tapes are and if they exist.In addition, Fabricant set a March 7 trial date, giving attorneys nine days to try their case.In October 2006, Bettencourt was indicted on 21 counts he accessed the civil service exam scores of his fellow officers during his midnight shift as watch commander Christmas Day 2004.The police lieutenant is accused of using police computers to learn the birth dates and Social Security numbers of 20 Peabody officers and one Salem police officer.Bettencourt, a 24-year veteran of the Peabody Police Department, allegedly used the information to open separate accounts and access his co-worker’s exam scores.He was suspended without pay shortly after his indictment.