A senior Metropolitan Police officer who wrote the force’s anti-drugs strategy took LSD and magic mushrooms while off duty and smoked cannabis before work, a tribunal has heard. Cdr Julian Bennett is also accused of failing to provide a sample for testing and lying about why he would not do so. The officer is facing a gross misconduct hearing over three allegations of discreditable conduct.
Cdr Bennett, who joined the Met in 1976, denies all the allegations. He has been suspended on full pay since July 2021.
The hearing in central London was told that in the autumn of 2019, Cdr Bennett regularly smoked cannabis before work. Sheila Gomes, a nurse who used to live at the officer’s flat, told the hearing: “It would start early in the morning, before breakfast and before he would leave and go to work.” She also told the tribunal she had received threatening messages after reporting the allegations but they were not said to have come from the officer.
The hearing was told that a drugs test was authorised but Cdr Bennett refused to provide a sample and asked to resign. Cdr Bennett told officers he had been taking CBD (cannabidiol), which contains cannabis and is legal in the UK, to treat facial palsy. He added that he was worried the sample would come up positive for an innocent reason, the tribunal heard.
Allegations that a senior Metropolitan Police officer who wrote the force’s anti-drugs strategy took LSD and magic mushrooms have been dismissed by a tribunal panel.
Cdr Julian Bennett is also accused of regularly smoking cannabis before work, which is still before the tribunal.
The allegations about the officer taking magic mushrooms on holiday in France and LSD at a party were “hearsay” allegations made by Hugo Pereria, who lived with the complainant Sheila Gomes and Mr Bennett in late 2019, the tribunal heard.
Panel chairman Akbar Khan said: “The panel can’t conclude, on the balance of probabilities, that Cdr Bennett had taken LSD and magic mushrooms. Those allegations are stopped or dismissed by this panel.”
I’m curious about the relationship between the three people in one flat - a 50+ police commander, a nurse and another man. No photos or ages of the woman and the man have been published so we can only wonder as to their “identity” …
If he did as allegedly smoke cannabis before his breakfast then that would have seriously affected his ability to taste a good egg and bacon nosh up - and going to work or possibly a forgone breakfast or tasteless one could seriously affect his working qualities - let alone the driving ; commands readings and decision making prowess. Guilty as admitted ma lord!
All news of the enquiry seems to have “dried up”. No doubt we’ll find out the result eventually but any details of the “ménage à trois” will probably be lacking.
The actions of Cdr Julian Bennett, who joined the Met in 1976, were found to have amounted to gross misconduct.
He was cleared by a three-person disciplinary panel of smoking an illicit substance. His former flatmate Sheila Gomes accused him of using cannabis daily before heading to work at New Scotland Yard. She reported Mr Bennett in July 2020 and, in the presence of an assistant commissioner, he was asked to provide a sample.
By failing to provide the sample, Mr Bennett, who has been suspended on full pay since July 2021, was found to have breached force standards for honesty and integrity, orders and instructions and discreditable conduct.
Panel chairman Akbar Khan said: “It is highly improbable the officer believed he had a good reason for failing to comply with a lawful order. Harm has undoubtedly been caused to the reputation of the Metropolitan Police Service.”
A decision on whether he should lose his job will be delivered later.
Well, I am surprised - a harsh verdict … but will it be backed up by a harsh punishment …
Given the reputation of The Met at this point in time I’d be surprised if he isn’t given the boot, can they afford to keep him him on? Their reputation is already in tatters.
