Claim Met Police commander took LSD and magic mushrooms dismissed

Cdr Julian Bennett has been suspended on full pay since July 2020

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 officer is facing a gross misconduct hearing and denies three allegations of discreditable conduct.

Cdr Bennett joined the Met in 1976 and was suspended on full pay in July 2020.

• Met commander never sober at home, tribunal told

• Met commander took cannabis before work - lodger

He is also accused of failing to provide a sample for testing and lying about why he would not do so.

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.

The hearing has been told Mr Pereria "always lied", but Ms Gomes claimed this was only when he was asked if he had used drugs.

'Balance of probabilities'

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."

Det Con Keith Handley told the hearing a decision had been taken not to conduct door-to-door inquiries asking neighbours whether they could smell cannabis. An application for a warrant to search the property was not sought either.

Checks were conducted to see if there was any information or intelligence on the address using a police computer system, the hearing was told.

Cdr Bennett's lawyer John Beggs KC asked Det Con Handley: "Do you agree with me that not all reasonable lines of inquiry had been followed?"

Det Con Handley replied: "Yes."

Cdr Bennett wrote the force's drugs strategy for 2017-21, which set out plans to raise "awareness of the impact of drug misuse".

According to information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, Cdr Bennet himself presided over 74 police misconduct hearings involving 90 officers between June 2010 and February 2012.

The tribunal continues.

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