Detective is sacked over drink-drive accident

A DRINK-DRIVE detective who left the scene of an accident and hid has been sacked by the police.

Detective Constable Matthew Smith, described as an “exemplary officer” by colleagues in Greater Manchester Police (GMP), was twice the drink-drive limit when he drove after a drinking session with friends.

His car hit a “glancing” blow to a vehicle driven by a member of the public as it left the motorway in Bury, Greater Manchester, in the early hours of September 8, last year.

He then left the scene and when an off-duty police officer came across the accident he found his colleague hiding.

The details were given at a Special Case Gross Misconduct Hearing, chaired by the Chief Constable of GMP Ian Hopkins and held via video conference, to determine if the officer should keep his job.

Det Con Smith failed a breath test at the roadside, giving a reading of 78 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, the hearing was told. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

The officer, a single parent and father-of-two, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court and admitted drink-driving and was banned from the roads for 18 months and fined £700.

Gareth Madgwick, a solicitor for GMP, told the hearing that the force would be justified in his dismissal as the officer had been convicted of a criminal offence.

Mr Madgwick said the public expected the “highest standards” from officers and the crash could have been “extremely serious”.

Det Con Smith admitted his behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and a breach of the police’s own professional standards rules.

He added: “I love my job. It does mean everything to me. I need this job sir.”

Mr Hopkins told the officer that his decision is that he should be dismissed from the force without notice.