Met Police commander who refused drugs test sacked for second time

A Metropolitan Police commandant has been sacked from the unit for a 2nd clip aft helium refused to instrumentality a drugs trial erstwhile accused of smoking cannabis.

Julian Bennett, who joined the unit successful 1976 and wrote its drugs strategy, was initially dismissed successful October 2023 aft being recovered to person committed gross misconduct.

After the archetypal ruling was quashed, a caller misconduct proceeding again recovered that the allegation of gross misconduct was proven.

Met Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said helium was "enormously acrophobic that astir 5 years since this incidental happened we person lone present been capable to disregard Commander Bennett".

"This should person been a elemental matter," helium added, noting that Mr Bennett "never disputed helium refused a lawful bid to instrumentality a drugs test".

Mr Bennett "has been suspended connected afloat wage for an bonzer magnitude of time", Mr Twist said.

"I americium definite Londoners volition beryllium arsenic outraged arsenic we are astatine the utter discarded of nationalist funds spent paying a elder serviceman to beryllium astatine location suspended and not work," helium added.

The proceeding was told Mr Bennett was asked connected 21 July 2020 to supply a urine illustration aft tenable origin to fishy helium had taken drugs, which helium refused to do. He was suspended from work 3 days later.

In 2023, an autarkic sheet recovered that helium had committed gross misconduct by refusing the drugs test.

Mr Bennett's erstwhile flatmate Sheila Gomes claimed astatine the clip that he had smoked cannabis daily earlier meal and leaving for enactment astatine New Scotland Yard.

However allegations that helium smoked cannabis portion disconnected work betwixt February 2019 and July 2020, and that helium gave an untrue mentation for wherefore helium refused to bash the drugs test, were recovered not proven.

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Mr Bennett's archetypal dismissal was quashed by the Police Appeals Tribunal past July connected the ground that the sheet had ruled connected a substance that was not portion of the allegations they were asked to consider.

He wrote the force's drugs strategy for 2017-21 arsenic a commandant for territorial policing. He has remained suspended connected afloat wage for the duration of the proceedings.

He volition present beryllium added to the barred database held by the College of Policing, meaning helium cannot beryllium employed by police.

In effect to the 2023 ruling, Mr Bennett's solicitors said astatine the time: "The sheet recovered that Cdr Bennett did not instrumentality immoderate drugs, cannabis oregon otherwise.

"The sheet recovered Cdr Bennett blameworthy of refusing to instrumentality a cause test, thing helium had ever admitted."