Patrolman guilty of stealing dead man's credit card

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 out 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 Guardia Civil 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 a total of 1,323 Euros - but only returned the money after getting caught.

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

He served an 18-Months prison sentence, and was later expelled from the Guardia Civil.