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Disgraced cop who took coke with students during Lamborghini bender will still be organised crime trial prosecution witness

A MET Police officer who avoided a jail sentence, after he hospitalised a sergeant when he tried to arrest him after a drug-fuelled bender, will still be a prosecution witness during a major organised crime trial.

In the latest scandal to rock Britain's biggest police force, Oliver Birch, 44, was arrested in a hotel room that contained wraps of cocaine and a "large amount of cash."

However, details of a Met misconduct hearing and subsequent prosecution were not made public by police.

Events unfolded after Birch, 44, from Gravesend, Kent, hired the above Lamborghini huracán on March 8 2023 and drove it to Brighton for a night out, taking a police baton with him, despite being off duty.

Birch, who at the time was a PC on the Met's Specialist Crime Command, which investigates organised crime gangs, met a group of students and identified himself as a police officer, yet bizarrely, took cocaine in their presence.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "The group left the venue, but Birch drove to their address in the Lamborghini and tried to convince them to join him for a drive. They refused."

Birch invited some back to his hotel, giving them the room number, but they declined.

The spokesman added: "When leaving, Birch thought that this group took the keys to the Lamborghini so he smashed a window of their property with a baton."

He fled the scene when local police were called, but was traced to the hotel room on Brighton seafront.

The spokesman said: "A Sussex Police officer attended to attempt to arrest him, but he resisted and violently assaulted the officer, causing injuries requiring hospital treatment."

Last year, before the conclusion of the case, details of the arrest had to be disclosed to a ongoing major EncroChat trial Birch was a witness for due to the significance of the unusual events.

He is also a victim in the trial due to having personal items allegedly stolen from his police vehicle, we have learnt.

A disclosure report on the incident said Police Sergeant Seekings entered Birch's room, but he pulled away as he tried to arrest him.

It added: "PS Seekings drew his taser and red dotted the suspect (who) was instructed to get on his knees."

As Mr Seekings tried to handcuff Birch, he repeatedly punched then stamped on him before he began hurling items at the injured sergeant, who was then able to deploy his taser as backup arrived.

PS Seekings was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, while Birch was arrested.

A search of the room found suspected cocaine separated into lines.

Two bank cards were located next to the drugs with a Met Police warrant card in Birch's name nearby.

A further search revealed a safe containing a quantity wraps and a large amount of cash, a second safe contained a phone, sim cards and Birch's passport.

An extendable baton was found in his back pocket.

The hire car was also searched which contained a rucksack containing a Met Police laptop and an open "class A" force evidence bag.

Birch told officers "it was all over" and that he wished to "commit suicide" and apologised for the assault upon arrest.

Birch was investigated on suspicion of assault on an emergency worker, criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon and possible drug supply, due to the items found.

He was not interviewed on the day of arrest, but was sectioned after being deemed to be in mental health crisis.

Birch was treated and discharged on April 19 2023.

He was interviewed on June 1 2023 and gave no comment answers.

Birch was subsequently charged with assault causing actual bodily harm, criminal damage, possession of a class A drug, possession of an offensive weapon and driving a motor vehicle over the drug limit.

The Met held a misconduct hearing in private last November with no details published before or after as usually happens, before he was dismissed from the force.

The Met said details were withheld in order not to prejudice the upcoming criminal case, but the The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 suggest notice should be published before and after a hearing with any legal redactions made as necessary.

At Lewes Crown Court, Birch pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm, criminal damage, possession of a class A drug and possession of an offensive weapon.

The charge of driving a motor vehicle over the drug limit was ordered to lie on file.

At Brighton Crown Court on March 22, Birch was given a two-year community order to include rehabilitation activity and 150 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £1,000 to the injured officer.

Sussex Police did not publish details of the case, despite its significance, and did not say why.

A spokeswoman said that local press covered the case, but there are no online articles found on a Google search.

In a statement Detective Sergeant Charles Lawrence said: “Oliver Birch showed total disregard for his position as a police officer.

“We worked closely with the Metropolitan Police as soon as his offending was revealed to ensure he faced justice for his actions and was dismissed from the police service.

“Offenders such as Birch have no place in policing and he has quite rightly faced the consequences of his actions.”


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