‘Serious misconduct’: NSW Police inspector had 13 beers, 8 spirit drinks before crash, watchdog says

The NSW Police watchdog says a high-ranking inspector engaged in “serious misconduct” after he allegedly had more than 20 alcoholic drinks and crashed his work car in Sydney’s NorthConnex tunnel.

The damning report from the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) also said other senior police officers gave him special treatment because they were “blinded by loyalty”.

The inspector, who serves in a “prestigious” posting in the leadership team, was allegedly caught on CCTV sinking 13 schooners, eight spirit drinks and dancing drunk in a McDonald’s hours before fleeing the wreckage to escape a breath test in May last year.

The officer was charged with high-range drink-driving and driving under the influence, but NSW Police used secret evidence in court to have his name suppressed to the letters “AB” for 40 years.

The inspector told police insurers he “fell asleep” at the wheel and omitted any mention of alcohol in the claim for the smashed Kia Sorento, the Herald reported last year.

Detective Inspector “AB” was charged in November over the drink-driving crash in Sydney’s NorthConnex.

On Thursday, the LECC released findings of an investigation into the conduct of AB and other senior officers in the fallout of the crash.

One police summary document, referenced in the LECC report, noted that AB “attended a social function” and was “seen on CCTV consuming 13 schooners of XXXX Gold and five mixed spirit drinks” on the evening of May 13, 2023.

AB then was seen on footage at a second hotel consuming “a further three mixed spirit drinks”, the document says, before deciding to drive home.

The investigation had footage showing Inspector AB dancing at McDonald’s and appearing intoxicated, the LECC heard.

One officer told the commission: “I don’t understand how he would have been standing, let alone driving.”

The LECC’s Operation Harrisdale concluded Inspector AB had “deliberately left the scene” of the NorthConnex crash “to avoid being breath tested”.

Further, the LECC found, he was “deliberately dishonest” omitting any mention of alcohol in an insurance claim made through the force.

For each action, the LECC concluded Inspector AB engaged in “serious misconduct”.

Despite the findings, AB is still employed by police and is collecting between $140,000 and $180,000 while at home awaiting a court hearing.

Commissioner Karen Webb said it was a “dark day” for police, and revealed she had launched two additional investigations following the report.

The first is an internal investigation which could end in AB’s termination.

The second was into the Public Affair Branch to investigate claims unearthed by the LECC that police were using automatically deleting and encrypted messaging apps, which meant some evidence could not be handed over to the watchdog.

The LECC also investigated concerns AB was given special treatment because of his high standing in the force.

The watchdog concluded AB was treated as any other individual during the investigation and charging process that followed the crash, despite concerns by many rank-and-file officers.

However, the LECC also found AB was given special treatment from his boss.

AB initially told his boss, known as HAR12, he drank eight mid-strength beers throughout the day.

HAR12 had been advised CCTV showed the inspector drinking far more than that but said it was “immaterial”.

“I didn’t think the behaviour would be repeated and attention drawn to himself even further than it already had,” HAR12 told the LECC.

“I wasn’t going to run away from him,” HAR12 added.

The LECC concluded HAR12’s “partiality for and loyalty to Officer AB blind(ed) them from making an impartial decision” on the inspector’s risk management.

“The Commission found that Officer AB was treated more leniently in the way in which he was managed by his Commander and in the police review of his driving,” the LECC said in a statement on Thursday.

“The favourable treatment led to other police officers losing confidence in the integrity of the NSW Police Force.”

HAR12 had also called up a lawyer and the police union on behalf of AB saying he was “more concerned about (AB’s) welfare” than criticisms about special treatment.

A total of 17 officers gave evidence to the LECC investigation, all under pseudonyms.

Operation Harrisdale also investigated allegations of both interference in the investigation into AB and claims of a “cover-up” by senior police.

The LECC found no evidence of interference in the investigation of AB’s crash.

But the NSW Police media unit, which frequently releases alerts each time any officer is charged, failed to put out any statement related to AB.

Senior police told the LECC that was an innocent mistake that “damaged the reputation” of the force.

The watchdog concluded AB had been given special treatment by his commander, in a police safe driving investigation and as a result of the missing media release.

Allegations of a cover-up were fuelled late last year when police lawyers sent legal threats to Nine, the publisher of the Herald, on behalf of Commissioner Karen Webb warning against revealing AB’s identity.

Webb rejected claims of a cover-up on 2GB radio before police lawyers fronted Hornsby Local Court armed with sealed envelopes containing secret evidence.

That evidence, which was challenged by Nine on the grounds of public interest, ultimately ended with a magistrate suppressing AB’s real identity for 40 years.

AB will face a hearing into the alleged drink-driving in September. He has pleaded not guilty.

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