Top cop who slammed drink-drivers caught three times over the limit

-Credit: (Image: West Lothian Courier)
-Credit: (Image: West Lothian Courier)


A police force's former head of professional standards has pleaded guilty to drink-driving at more than three times the limit. Detective Superintendent Paul Kessell, 45, of Corfe Road, Stoborough, Dorset, admitted the offence which took place on the A352 at Wool, near Wareham, on August 4.

The officer, who was formerly head of professional standards for Dorset Police and Devon & Cornwall Police, "smelled strongly of alcohol" and was "unsteady on his feet", Southampton Magistrates' Court heard.

Tom Corke, prosecuting, told Southampton Magistrates' Court that police had received a report from a concerned member of the public who reported seeing his Peugeot car "driving erratically, described as swerving across the road".

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He said: "Officers are deployed, they find the vehicle driven by the defendant driving along the A352. The defendant is compliantly stopped by the officers, found to be smelling strongly of alcohol and unsteady on his feet."

Mr Corke added the offence was "aggravated by the poor state of driving". He said Kessell gave a breath test that gave a reading of 115 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, which is more than three times the legal limit of 35mcg.

District Judge Anthony Callaway adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared on Kessell, who the court heard has "mental health concerns".

He told the defendant: "I have to disqualify you on an interim basis, please do not drive a car on the road from this very moment."

Kessell will be sentenced at the same court on November 5. Following a misconduct hearing at Devon and Cornwall Police in 2019 where two officers were dismissed for gross misconduct by filming themselves driving at 89mph in a seized car, Kessell criticised their actions.

In his then role as Devon and Cornwall Police's head of professional standards, Kessell said: "The behaviour displayed by these officers falls well below what the force and the public expect of a police officer."

"Through their actions, they have undermined the public's trust and confidence in the police force and taken advantage of the responsibility placed on them in their roles."

Speaking of one off-duty officer who was caught drink-driving while twice the legal limit, the Detective Superintendent had said: “We expect our officers to uphold the standards of professional behaviour at all times, while on and off duty.

“His behaviour brought discredit upon the police service and could undermine public confidence.

“Such behaviour will not be tolerated within policing and the decision made by the panel was that the officer should be dismissed without notice.”

Kessell also held a senior role in Dorset Police's major crime team at the time of the investigation into the death of teenager Gaia Pope in 2017.

A Dorset Police spokesman said: "Following the outcome of this hearing, the matter will now be subject to formal misconduct proceedings."

Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Farrell, of Dorset Police, said: "The public should quite rightly have confidence that police officers and staff strive to always maintain the highest standards of professionalism and integrity and that, when these standards fall below expectations, swift and robust action is taken."

"Unfortunately, we see all too often the devastating consequences of people driving while under the influence of alcohol and we make no exceptions when a member of Dorset Police is found to have been drink-driving."