Met Police officer 'could not walk straight' after drinking wine on duty, panel finds

"The fact that the former officer was so intoxicated that he could not walk straight meant that he was unfit to deal with a prisoner in custody, which was the purpose of him being at the police station."

"I found that the former officer's actions were intentional, deliberate, and planned. He chose to go to the Taproom and consume alcohol when he was on duty. Being intoxicated whilst on duty in"

"CCTV showed Mr Brierley 'unsteady on his feet', 'staggering' and 'off balance' when he returned to the police station later that evening. A custody sergeant gave evidence that Mr Brierley had 'smelt drunk' and other staff reported his speech had been 'slurred'."

Former detective constable Sean Brierley attended a bar on July 2, 2025, while on duty after being told a suspect was unavailable for interview. CCTV footage showed him ordering three glasses of white wine over two hours. Upon returning to Leyton police station, he was visibly intoxicated—staggering, unsteady, and with slurred speech. A custody sergeant noted he smelled drunk. His condition rendered him unfit to handle prisoners in custody. Colleagues were so concerned they arranged a welfare check at his home around 12:20am, where officers found him disoriented in bed. A misconduct panel determined his actions were intentional and deliberate, concluding he would have been dismissed had he not already left the force.

Read at www.standard.co.uk