The drink driving detective was found guilty of misconduct

A former police superintendent who drove while three times the legal blood alcohol limit has been found guilty of serious misconduct.

A hearing held at Dorset Police headquarters on Wednesday found that Supt Paul Kessell had failed to meet appropriate standards of behavior and would have been sacked had he not resigned.

On September 13, pleaded guilty to drive a motor vehicle when over the legal blood alcohol limit, and will be sentenced on November 5.

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Farrell of Dorset Police said the force took “swift action” whenever a member of staff was found to be below “the highest standards of professionalism and integrity”.

On August 4 Supt Kessell was found to have 115 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 milliliters of breath when he was arrested on the A352 in Wool, Dorset.

The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

The officer previously commented on cases of police misconduct in his role as policing standards officer.

In 2022, he said an officer who was twice the legal limit had “brought the police service into disrepute”.

He added: “This behavior will not be tolerated within the police force.”

Following Detective Superintendent Kessell’s misconduct hearing, DCC Farrell said the force recognized the “devastating consequences that can result from people driving under the influence of alcohol”.

“Whether on or off duty, we always expect our officers and police personnel to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and integrity,” he said.

“(We) remain committed to identifying and taking action against anyone found to be intoxicated while driving.”

Supt Kessell was also placed on the banned list, Dorset Police said.