High-flying detective downs gin in police car before colleagues pulled her over

A police detective with an "unblemished career" was caught before swerving along a dual carriageway - where her own colleagues pulled her over twice for her erratic driving. Andrea Murphy-King explained the "horrendous" actions which led to her being after she was found to be on a roadside breath test.

The 48-year-old "high-performing" detective drove her green Mini along the A689, before she mounted a kerb at a roundabout and swerved in a lane on the A19. Officers spotted her and pulled her over - but the cop blamed her "poor driving" on the fact that she had been using her phone, denying consuming any . She then continued on her journey, and was seen swerving along the dual carriageway in the 73 plate Mini and indicating prematurely, so was pulled over for a second time by colleagues.

After a roadside breath test, Murphy-King was found to be double the drink drive limit, and was arrested and sentenced in court. Her "disgraceful" actions were detailed at an Accelerated Police Misconduct Hearing, held on Thursday, where she explained how the events of that day were "an absolute blur". The officer, with over two decades of service, is facing two allegations of breaching the standards of professional behaviour that are "so serious they amount to gross misconduct".

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Murphy-King said she had received a "distressing" call from a family member on the morning of November 4. She insisted that she is "not a big drinker" but had "nipped to the shop" in the morning to buy her lunch and a bottle of gin in preparation for some celebratory drinks after work that evening. The misconduct hearing was told that she left the bottle of gin in the footwell of her car and went into work.

But at around 8.05am, whilst at work, she received the call which "took her breath away". Murphy-King said: "I was really upset and was trying to stop myself crying. I went to the car to try and calm myself down." She continued: "Everything is an absolute blur. The officer added that she doesn’t remember speaking to the officers when they stopped her the first time, but does remember the flashing lights. She said she "panicked" when pulling out of the layby, trying to turn her indicator off.

The cop said she was "severely distressed" and had the intention to drive to Wynyard services to "calm herself down". Chief constable Mark Webster questioned Murphy-King’s decision making and why she drove after having a drink. Murphy-King responded that she originally went outside to "get some fresh air" as she was "so distraught". She said: "I wasn’t in my own body. I had the opportunity to make different decisions. The whole of my life I’ve made sensible decisions. I wasn’t in control of my own decision making. It just wasn’t me."

The misconduct panel heard that Murphy-King’s drinking was over a two hour time frame, with the call received just after 8am and when she was first stopped by the officer just after 10.45am. Oliver Thorne, for the appropriate authority, put to the chief constable that the officer was "repeatedly" drinking or if not in "large quantities". The chief constable asked Murphy-King if she recognised that getting into a car and driving on a dual carriageway was potential to cause serious harm. "Yes," she answered. "It’s disgraceful."

The hearing was told that Murphy-King admits the breaches and breaches the standards but denies gross misconduct. On November 4, officers grew "concerned" over her driving and were suspicious she was intoxicated. PC Walker asked Murphy-King if she had consumed alcohol, to which she replied "no", Mr Thorne stated.

But a road side breath test showed a reading of 89 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath - more than double the drink drive limit of 35 microgrammes. Murphy-King was arrested and taken to Peterlee police station where further samples were taken and a lower reading of 71 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The misconduct hearing was told that Murphy-King was convicted in November, last year, receiving a 17-month driving ban, a fine of £750, a victim surcharge of £300 and costs of £85.

Mr Thorne said it is "clearly a case of gross misconduct" as the public’s trust and confidence in the force is "seriously undermined" - because "those that enforce the rule can breach them". He said Murphy-King brought alcohol to work, returned to the car park on more than one occasion to drink alcohol and took gin into the office.

Paul Crowly, representing the officer, stated that Murphy-King is a serving officer of 24-years with a record of "unblemished service". He described her conduct as a “single isolated incident” but made it "categorically clear" that Murphy-King "doesn’t seek to downplay the seriousness of her actions".

The hearing was told that Murphy-King was suffering from a medical condition at the time of the offence. Mr Crowly added that she made some made some "horrendous decisions that resulted in a criminal conviction", but that her actions "will never be repeated". "This is a single momentary lapse", he said.