Drink-driving nuclear cop behaved 'discreditably'
PA MediaA nuclear officer who hit a police car when he was caught drink-driving behaved "discreditably", a misconduct panel has found.
Mark Bennett was a police constable for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary based at Sellafield, Cumbria, when he was arrested at a McDonald's car park in Workington for being over the drink-drive limit.
He admitted the offence when he appeared in court and was banned from driving for 20 months.
A report published this week from a misconduct hearing found he would have been dismissed if he had not resigned before facing the panel.
"He voluntarily went behind the wheel and alcohol was located within the vehicle. This was a deliberate act on his part," the report said.
"The panel found [it] amounted to discreditable conduct."
Reversed into patrol car
Mr Bennett was arrested on 18 January after a member of the public reported a vehicle driving erratically at Scaw Road in Workington.
A police vehicle followed him to the McDonald's car park and parked behind him.
When Mr Bennett tried to reverse, officers enabled the blue lights, but there was a "minor collision" with the patrol car, the report said.
Mr Bennett, who was off-duty at the time, admitted he had been drinking and a half-empty bottle of whisky was found in his vehicle.
When he was breathalysed he was found to have 76 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35.
"The reading in this case increased the severity of the matter," the panel said in its report.
"The panel felt that this in itself was disreputable, and the majority of the public in receipt of such information would believe likewise."
Mr Bennett resigned three days after his arrest and did not attend the misconduct hearing.