A senior Metropolitan Police commander has been dismissed for gross misconduct after refusing to comply with a drugs test order in 2020, following a years-long disciplinary process that has drawn criticism for delays and public cost.
Commander Julian Bennett was first dismissed in October 2023 by an independent misconduct panel after failing to provide a urine sample on July 21, 2020, when there was reasonable cause to suspect he had taken drugs. He was suspended from duty just four days later.
While the panel found one allegation proven, two others – involving claims that Bennett smoked cannabis while off-duty and gave a false explanation for his refusal – were not upheld. Following the dismissal, Bennett appealed to the Police Appeals Tribunal (PAT), a process overseen by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime.
In July 2024, the PAT quashed the dismissal, ruling that the misconduct panel had decided on a matter not included in the original allegations, and ordered a fresh hearing. Bennett remained suspended throughout.
Now, after a second misconduct hearing, a new panel has again found the central allegation proven at the level of gross misconduct. As a result, Bennett has been formally dismissed and will be placed on the Barred List maintained by the College of Policing, preventing future employment within police forces and related bodies.
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“Utter Waste of Public Funds,” Says Met Assistant Commissioner
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist condemned the drawn-out process and expressed frustration at the nearly five-year duration between the incident and final dismissal.
