A former Greater Manchester Police officer who was caught drunk behind the wheel has been barred from working in the police force over gross misconduct.
The force said former PC Jonathan Pickerill would have been dismissed from the force had he not resigned. During a misconduct hearing, Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson concluded that the former PC's conduct "undoubtedly damages the trust and confidence that the public have a right to expect of their police".
Incident and Conviction
Pickerill was stopped by police while driving in Cheshire after travelling from his home in Staffordshire on November 26, 2025. He was found to have 81 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath - more than twice the legal limit of 35 micrograms.
The former officer pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol in his system at South Cheshire Magistrates' Court on June 22 this year. He was fined and ordered to pay court costs and a victims surcharge totalling £627, and was disqualified from driving for 18 months.
Misconduct Hearing
An accelerated misconduct hearing was held at GMP's headquarters on Friday (August 7), with Sir Stephen ruling that Pickerill's actions amounted to gross misconduct. Pickerill was not present or represented at the hearing, but he had submitted a written statement acknowledging his misconduct.
The Chief Constable said: "The officer having consumed a significant quantity of alcohol drove his vehicle on a public road. He now stands convicted of a criminal offence.
"His actions, in respect of the offence of driving with excess alcohol, were deliberate and carried out in the full knowledge that his conduct was both patently unlawful and entirely incompatible with the standards of behaviour required of a police officer."
He added that the drink driving was "an enduring source of public concern" and that police officers who enforce the law "can in no way themselves break the law". He also said Pickerill's actions created a risk to other road users.
Impact and Outcome
He said the former officer's conviction also harmed the reputation of GMP.
"Mr Pickerill's conduct and conviction inevitably brings the profession into disrepute and undoubtedly damages the trust and confidence that the public have a right to expect of their police," he added.
The Chief Constable acknowledged Pickerill had referred in his written statement to professional and personal issues which he said had "undermined his mental health". Sir Stephen said he did not doubt that Pickerill had experienced "difficult issues in his personal life", but said he could not establish that these had created "an undeniable causal link" to his offending.
He also criticised the former officer for waiting until the "last moment in judicial proceedings" before pleading guilty, adding that "an element of obfuscation is apparent which was clearly designed to delay proceedings unnecessarily."
Concluding, Sir Stephen said: "I consider that the level of seriousness in this case is very high. Mr Pickerill's offending behaviour was clearly unlawful, unwise and contrary to the clearest of instructions.
"It is clear that had Mr Pickerill been permitted to remain in the service that public confidence in policing would have inevitably suffered."
He ruled that, had Pickerill not resigned, he would have been dismissed from GMP with immediate effect. His name has also been ordered to be added to the College of Policing's Barred List, preventing him from working for the police.
