Former DCI James Faulkner resigned before he could be sacked

Greater Manchester Police HQ, Newton Heath (stock image)(Image: )

A senior Greater Manchester Police detective who took anabolic steroids would have been sacked had he not already resigned, the force’s Chief Constable has ruled. James Faulkner resigned from GMP ahead of a misconduct hearing held on Friday at the force’s headquarters.

Mr Faulkner was a Detective Chief Inspector based at Oldham police station. As a senior CID leader, he would have been involved in high-profile cases including murder investigations, drugs operations and investigations into serious and organised crime.

His name will now be added to the College of Policing’s ‘Barred List’, preventing him from working in policing again.

GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson, who chaired the hearing, said he found gross misconduct to be proven on the part of Mr Faulkner, who the hearing was told had previously held an ‘unblemished record’.

In his ruling, he said the former officer had displayed ‘a catastrophic lack of judgement’ and that he ‘must have had recourse to interact with active criminals in order to procure the steroids’.

Sir Stephen Watson(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)

Mr Faulkner, the hearing was told, ‘hasn’t engaged in the proceedings’ and wasn’t present at the hearing, but did submit a statement. In that, he accepted gross misconduct.

Mr Faulkner joined GMP on November 6, 2000. On May 16, 2024, a constable sent him a ‘Microsoft Teams message stating that he took steroids’, Chief Constable Watson said.

“Mr Faulkner did not refute the constable’s statements,” he said. “A decision was subsequently made to conduct a with-cause drugs test.”

That took place on May 25, 2025, with a sample of urine testing positive for anabolic steroids, the hearing was told. Chief Constable Watson said: “Mr Faulkner has not indicated that he was lawfully supplied with anabolic steroids. He was given the opportunity to do so at the time of the test and subsequently.”

He said he found Mr Faulkner had breached standards of professional behaviour relating to honesty and integrity, discreditable conduct and orders and instructions and that collectively, it amounted to gross misconduct.

The hearing was told Mr Faulkner accepted he took one type of steroid, but said any other substances in his system were the result of ‘contamination of the product that he did take’.

In his ruling Chief Constable Watson said: “I consider that Mr Faulkner’s culpability must be regarded as high. I am presented with incontrovertible evidence of the illicit use of anabolic steroids. His actions were deliberate and carried out in the full knowledge that his conduct was contrary to that set forth in the GMP alcohol and drug misuse policy.

“The likely consequences for officers found to be using illicit steroids is widely understood. In assessing the unlawful supply of steroids in question, the former officer must have had recourse to interact with active criminals in order to procure the steroids.

“A police officer is expected to target active criminals, not to consort with them.”

He said it was an ‘aggravating factor’ that Mr Faulkner held a senior rank. Chief Constable Watson said the former officer’s conduct fell ‘squarely’ into a category which ‘rightly causes a loss of trust within the public’.

He said Mr Faulkner expressed a degree of remorse and accepted it amounted to gross misconduct. He pointed to an ‘implication’ of ‘poor choices being adopted in the midst of significant challenges in his personal life’.

But Chief Constable Watson said: “His offending behaviour was extremely unwise, contrary to the clearest of instructions and must have involved a casual and corrupting association with a person or persons actively engaged in criminality. Had he not resigned I would have dismissed him from the service with immediate effect.

“That an officer with a previously unblemished record, and a substantial degree of talent has had to pay such a heavy price for what amounts to a catastrophic lack of judgement should serve as a salutary lesson to all of those who are fortunate to hold the trusted office of constable.”