Ex-police officer Ben Sweeney dismissed over drink driving crash

The hearing concluded former Police Constable Benjamin Sweeney would have been dismissed if he were still a serving officer for gross misconduct over the incident.

The hearing heard how Sweeney, 24, of Pasture Lane, Clayton, had been drinking at pubs in Ripponden on May 28, 2021, with friends.

Mike Percival, head of legal services, told the hearing Sweeney had been drinking at The Lion in Ripponden before driving his Audi A4, carrying friends, to the nearby Turnpike pub in Oldham Road and continuing to drink.

In total, he was said to have had five or six points of Guinness or strong lager, along with a Jagerbomb, during the night, before getting behind the wheel of his Audi again at 10.09pm.

Ben Sweeney's drinking session began at The Lion in Ripponden. Pic: Google Street View

Witnesses said his driving was "erratic", and shortly after departing the Turnpike crashed into a wall and telegraph pole before his car fell six to nine metres down a cliff and ending up on its roof.

Sweeney and one passenger were injured and required hospital treatment following the collision.

The hearing also heard how Sweeney had told police at the time he'd only had one or two drinks - with friends claiming he hadn't drunk at all - and following the crash he chewed some gum which meant his roadside breath test was delayed.

He eventually blew 63 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath, almost double the legal limit of 35mcg, and a blood sample taken in hospital was over the limit.

During police interview Sweeney gave no comment but at Leeds Magistrates' Court on July 22 he pleaded guilty to drink driving and was banned for 18 months and handed a 10-week curfew order.

He then drove to Turnpike before drinking more then driving again and crashing shortly after. Pic: Google Street View

In the late summer he resigned from West Yorkshire Police, and gave full admission to the hearing and accepted gross misconduct and that he would be dismissed if he was still in the force.

Sweeney was not present at the hearing, instead represented by West Yorkshire Police Federation general secretary Chris Bentley.

Mr Percival told the hearing it was Sweeney's choice to drive that night and was solely responsible for his actions, which "could have resulted in fatalities".

The hearing heard there was "very little" in Sweeney's service history - mainly due to his young age - but "he had been a successful performer in his first 75 weeks", and "he must have been of good character at the time as he was a police officer".

Mr Bentley told the hearing there was very little to be said in mitigation, only that Sweeney has "shown genuine remorse for his actions and how this reflects on the force".

Eileen Herhily, chair of the disciplinary panel, said if Sweeney had still been a serving officer he would have been dismissed and his actions had done "significant harm to the status of West Yorkshire Police".

A report will also be sent to the College of Policing to add his name to the barred list, preventing him from working for any other police force in the future.