A high-ranking officer in the Metropolitan Police has been fired again for the second time for his refusal to undergo a drugs test. This decision came after he spent almost five years on suspension while still receiving his six-figure salary.
Commander Julian Bennett, known for crafting the official drugs strategy for the Met and overseeing numerous misconduct hearings, was terminated following a disciplinary inquiry that determined his failure to provide a urine sample in July 2020 as an act of gross misconduct.
This marks the second occasion in which Bennett has been dismissed from his position within the police department. His initial dismissal in October 2023 was reversed by the Police Appeals Tribunal (PAT) last summer.
The Met then opted not to pursue a Judicial Review, instead holding a fresh misconduct hearing in September, which again concluded with his dismissal.
Bennett, who joined the force in 1976 and rose to one of its most senior ranks, had been suspended on full pay since 2021.
The case is estimated to have cost the taxpayer around £1.5 million.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said: ‘I am enormously concerned that almost five years since this incident happened we have only now been able to dismiss Commander Bennett.
‘This should have been a simple matter. Commander Bennett has never disputed he refused a lawful order to take a drugs test.
Commander Julian Bennett (above) was dismissed after a disciplinary panel found his refusal to provide a urine sample in July 2020 amounted to gross misconduct
It marks the second time Bennett has been sacked by the force, after his first dismissal in October 2023 was overturned by the Police Appeals Tribunal (PAT) last summer
‘As a senior officer who had chaired misconduct hearings, Commander Bennett was highly experienced and knew full well what was required of him, yet he made a choice not to co-operate.
‘He has been suspended on full pay for an extraordinary length of time. I am sure Londoners will be as outraged as we are at the utter waste of public funds spent paying a senior officer to sit at home suspended and not work.’
Bennett was asked to provide a urine sample on July 21, 2020, after being reported by a former flatmate, but refused in the presence of an assistant commissioner.
Instead, he offered to resign immediately and requested a meeting with then-Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.
He later claimed he had been taking cannabidiol (CBD) for facial palsy and feared a positive test result might wrongly suggest drug misuse.
The panel concluded that his refusal breached standards relating to honesty and integrity, discreditable conduct, and orders and instructions.
Bennett’s dismissal means he will now be added to the College of Policing’s barred list, preventing him from holding any policing role in the future.
He had previously faced allegations of cannabis use made by his former flatmate, Sheila Gomes, who claimed he had used the drug daily before leaving for work at Scotland Yard.
However, a three-person panel rejected that claim, as well as an allegation that Bennett gave an untruthful explanation for refusing the test.
During tribunal proceedings, Mark Ley-Morgan KC, representing the Metropolitan Police, said it would have ‘smacked of organised corruption at the highest level’ if Bennett had been allowed to resign and avoid the disciplinary process.
Bennett’s barrister, John Beggs KC, dismissed the allegations by Ms Gomes, calling her a ‘liar’ and a ‘fantasist’ who he claimed wanted to write a book and profit from her accusations.
The tribunal heard she had a history of litigation, including in her native Portugal.
Mr Bennett wrote the force’s drugs strategy for 2017-21 as a commander for territorial policing (Pictured: Scotland Yard)
Despite being cleared of using cannabis, Bennett’s refusal to take the test was considered serious enough to warrant dismissal
Despite being cleared of using cannabis, Bennett’s refusal to take the test was considered serious enough to warrant dismissal.
At the time of the request, he was still a serving officer and had played a central role in shaping the Met’s anti-drug policies.
His own 2017–2021 strategy document, Dealing With The Impact Of Drugs On Communities, aimed to raise awareness of the dangers of drug misuse.
Between 2010 and 2012, Bennett chaired 74 misconduct hearings involving 90 officers, resulting in 56 dismissals.
Twist added: ‘While the Met is not responsible for all the delays in Commander Bennett’s matter, we are also working hard to expedite cases and cut bureaucracy.
‘I am confident a situation like Commander Bennett’s prolonged case would not happen again.’
