Drink driving off-duty cop Paul Kessell facing misconduct hearing

The 45-year-old pleaded guilty to driving while more than three times over the drink driving limit at a court hearing on September 13. 

Kessell was not on duty when he drove drunk on August 4 on the A352 at Wool. 

Officers were called by a concerned resident who saw a car being driven 'erratically' and Kessell was stopped by attending officers and breathalysed. 

He was found to have 115 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. 

The detective superintendent has also been provisionally banned from driving ahead of his sentencing on November 5. 

Kessell will answer allegations that his conduct amounted to breaches of the standards of professional behaviour in respect of discreditable conduct. 

The hearing will take place today at Dorset Police’s headquarters in Winfrith. 

Deputy chief constable Rachel Farrell 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.

“Intelligence from the public is invaluable in keeping Dorset’s roads safe. If you suspect someone of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, dial 999 immediately with the vehicle information and direction of travel.”

Kessell was the former head of professional standards at Dorset Police and previously criticised two officers in 2019 who were dismissed for gross misconduct by filming themselves driving at 89mph in a seized car.

He was 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.