Police officer banned for life after failing test for cocaine

A POLICE officer has been barred from policing for life after a drugs test found cocaine in his system.

PC David Kingdom was tested for drugs in November last year after South Wales Police received a tip-off about the officer.

Mr Kingdom was tested for drugs as a result and was found to have 18 times the accepted detectable amount of benzoylecgonine (cocaine) in his system.

The officer December.

At an accelerated police misconduct hearing at police headquarters in Bridgend on February 2, Mr Kingdom was found to have breached the police standards of professional conduct and his behaviour was ruled to have amounted to gross misconduct. resigned in

Speaking at the hearing, Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan said: “Following intelligence received by the South Wales Police standards of professional behaviour team former PC Kingdom was ordered to take a drugs test.

“On November 30, 2020, a sample was analysed by Abbott Toxicology. The test results showed that the sample contained benzoylecgonine, cocaine.”

Chief Constable

Vaughan explained that while the accepted detectable amount of cocaine in a sample is 150 nanograms per millilitre Mr Kingdom had more than 18 times that amount at 2,700 ng/ mL.

Following the results, Mr Kingdom, who did not attend the hearing, resigned from South Wales Police on December 8, 2020.

A Police Federation representative attending the hearing on his behalf said the former officer was “remorseful”, adding: “It was a one-off.”

Concluding his decision to refer Mr Kingdom to the police barred list, Chief Constable Vaughan said: “I am satisfied that the officer, former Police Constable Kingdom, would have been dismissed had he still been serving with South Wales Police.

“Cocaine is a Class A drug. Drugs markets of this classification do so much harm to our communities.

“Those people who procure and consume these drugs support these markets and the levels of criminality and violence that go with them.

“Police officers are expected to uphold the law with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality and are expected to be trusted to the ends of the earth.

“The purpose of these proceedings is to maintain public confidence in policing and the reputation of the police service, to uphold high standards in policing, to deter misconduct, and thereby protect the public.

“The vast majority of the officers who work for South Wales Police conduct themselves impeccably.”

Mr Kingdom’s name has been placed on the police barred list.