GMP officer resigns in shame after he tried to flee routine police stop

A drug-driving police officer has resigned from GMP in shame after he ran away from traffic cops conducting a routine stop and was later found to have cocaine in his blood, a disciplinary hearing has ruled.

PC Graham Sumner resigned from GMP on October 17 ahead of an misconduct hearing last week in which found he was guilty of 'gross misconduct'.

The former cop, and an ex detective Jeevan Brench, were both publicly shamed this week by Chief Constable Stephen Watson who said he would have sacked them both had they not already left the force after they were caught with drugs in their systems. Following a series of scandals that have rocked policing nationally, the top cop has made it a mission to 'root out and boot out' corrupt officers.

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PC Sumner was stopped by police in Trafford 'for a routine moving traffic offence' on August 25 last year but 'attempted to flee the scene on foot', according to the published ruling. He was caught 'following a brief chase'.

He was taken to a police station and a sample of blood was taken. Analysis showed it contained 77 micrograms of benzoylecgonine (BZE) per litre of blood, well above the legal limit of 50mg, the 'accelerated misconduct hearing' was told.

The hearing was told former PC Sumner was convicted of drug driving at Merseyside Magistrates' Court in March and was banned from driving for 12 months and fined £625. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £250 and prosecution costs of £120.

"BZE is a cocaine breakdown," said Chief Constable Stephen Watson in his ruling, adding: "I have assessed that Mr Sumner's culpability must be regarded as high. I am presented with incontrovertible evidence of the commission of a criminal offence, namely driving whilst impaired through the use of controlled drugs. His actions were deliberate and carried out in the full knowledge that his conduct was patently dangerous and unlawful."

He went on: "Not only is driving while under the influence of drugs a criminal offence but the likely consequences for officers found to be using illicit drugs is widely understood within the force. What must additionally weigh against the officer is that he must have had recourse to interact with active criminals in order to procure the cocaine consumed.

"A police officer is expected to target active criminals, not to consort with them. The officer's misguided attempt to to evade the arresting officers by seeking to make off on foot similarly constitutes an aggravating feature of this case."

PC Sumner had also 'clearly placed other roads users in a position of unnecessary risk'.

"Had he not resigned, I would have had no hesitation in dismissing him from the service with immediate effect. The public and GMP are well served by Mr Sumner's departure," said the chief constable.

Mr Sumner, who did not attend the hearing, was also added to the College of Policing's 'barred list' which prohibits him from getting another job in policing.

In a separate hearing, the chief constable also heaped criticism on a detective who also resigned ahead a disciplinary hearing

Detective Constable Jeevan Brench resigned after a routine drugs test on October 30 last year found traces of THC - the main metabolite of cannabis - in his urine. The amount of THC found was 'indicative of cannabis usage between 24 to 48 hours of the test', said the published ruling.

Officers visited Brench's home on November 6 last year 'in relation to other matters' and found 'cannabis, cannabis resin and paraphernalia related to the use of cannabis', said the chief constable in the ruling.

"Mr Bench's offending behaviour was clearly unlawful, contrary to the clearest instructions and must necessarily have involved a casual and corrupting association with a person or persons actively engaged in criminality," he said, also adding Brench's name to the 'barred list'.