I used to be not nicknamed The Sacker, police commander tells tribunal
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senior police officer who allegedly smoked hashish every single day has denied his nickname within the Metropolitan Police pressure was the “Sacker”, because of the variety of officers he dismissed for misconduct.
Commander Julian Bennett, who has served within the pressure since 1976, is alleged to have smoked hashish earlier than breakfast and work, the place he could be praised by senior colleagues.
On Thursday a police tribunal at Southwark heard that Mr Bennett served as chairman of quite a few police misconduct hearings throughout his profession.
Freedom of knowledge requests confirmed Mr Bennett presided over 74 police misconduct hearings involving 90 officers between June 2010 and February 2012.
The newspapers known as me The Sacker. I’ve by no means been known as The Sacker
Out of the hearings involving Mr Bennett, 56 officers had been dismissed – greater than three-quarters.
He chaired 69 hearings throughout that point and two officers had been dismissed for medicine misuse, the figures confirmed.
He was requested if he had a nickname that he was conscious of.
Previously, it has been reported that he was often called “Sacker” because of the variety of officers dismissed throughout his rulings.
“The newspapers called me The Sacker,” he stated. “I have never been called The Sacker.”
He added: “I only dismissed people if it was the right and necessary thing to do.”
I’ve by no means taken hashish or another unlawful drug
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Bennett denied that he had ever taken any unlawful medicine.
“I have never taken cannabis or any other illegal drug,” he stated.
“In my whole life I have never taken drugs.”
Mr Bennett wrote the pressure’s medicine technique for 2017-21 as a commander for territorial policing.
The doc, known as Dealing With The Impact Of Drugs On Communities, arrange plans to lift “awareness of the impact of drug misuse”.
He advised the tribunal that he was “pretty neutral” on the difficulty of drug use.
“It is a very complicated issue,” he stated.
“I am pretty neutral on it. There are some countries in the world where drugs are legalised.
“Too much attention can be given to the subject, when what the public wants is help with serious criminality.”
Mr Bennett is accused of breaching the pressure’s skilled requirements for discreditable conduct 3 times, honesty and integrity twice and orders and directions as soon as.
His actions are alleged to have amounted to gross misconduct.
He denies the allegations and has been suspended on full pay since July 2021.
Further allegations that he additionally took LSD and magic mushrooms had been dismissed on Wednesday.
The tribunal continues.