Police supervisor Julian Bennett terminated from duty for the second time due to his repeated resistance towards submitting a drug test.
A peak into London's law enforcement circus: Senior officer Julian Bennett, a 45-year-veteran with the Metropolitan Police, found himself booted off the force for the second time in his career. The reason? Refusing to submit to a drug test. The incident took place back in 2020, but the verdict for this case was only reached in 2025 - almost five torturous years later.
The initial sacking of Bennett came in October 2023, following an allegation of gross misconduct. Not satisfied with the decision, Bennett referred the case to the Police Appeals Tribunal, which quashed the ruling in July 2024 due to the panel handling an issue not part of the original allegations.
Fast forward to 2025, another misconduct hearing reinforced the allegation of gross misconduct. On June 4, 2025, the commissioner announced Bennett's dismissal, stating his concern over the protracted timeline of the case.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist voiced wrath over the seemingly endless suspension of Bennett on full pay. He rightfully pointed out, "Londoners will share our outrage at the unnecessary waste of public funds spent on a senior officer who wasn't contributing to the force during his suspension."
The incident unfolded when Bennett was asked to provide a urine sample on July 21, 2020, as there was reasonable suspicion that he had partaken in drug use. Bennett refused the test. He was suspended on duty three days later, and an independent panel found him guilty of gross misconduct for the refusal in 2023.
Nevertheless, allegations against Bennett for smoking cannabis while off-duty between February 2019 and July 2020, and giving an unsatisfactory explanation for the drug test refusal, were rendered inconclusive.
An old roommate, Sheila Gomes, claimed at the time that Bennett had a daily cannabis habit before his breakfast and leaving for work at New Scotland Yard. However, the rumors surrounding his off-duty consumption couldn't be substantiated.
Bennett, who wrote the Met Police's drugs strategy, will now be barred from employment by police forces or related bodies due to his name being added to the College of Policing's Barred List.
In response to the 2023 ruling, Bennett's lawyers maintained that the panel found no evidence that Bennett had consumed drugs, cannabis included. They further stated that Bennett admitted to refusing the drug test and was found guilty of this charge.
In the aftermath of his second dismissal from the Metropolitan Police, former senior officer Julian Bennett found himself embroiled in controversies beyond politics and general news, extending into the realm of crime and justice. His protracted legal battle, spanning from 2023 to 2025, raised concerns over the misuse of public funds, as Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist highlighted during the course of Bennett's seemingly endless suspension on full pay.
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