A riot police instructor who drunkenly threw petrol bombs at a training base would have been sacked if he had not already quit, a misconduct panel said.
Former PC James Duthoit was lead instructor at the riot training centre in March 2022 when he and students celebrated the end of the five-week course by going for a meal and drinks.
When they returned to the training centre in Gravesend at 2am, petrol bombs intended for use in the training were thrown.
A car caught alight and the fire spread to the interior wall of the courtyard causing £10,000 worth of damage.
In total 150 handheld fire extinguishers were used to extinguish the fire.
Duthoit denied wrongdoing, stating he accepts being present but has no recollection of throwing a petrol bomb.
“I feel like I am being made a scapegoat, when all I did was try to put the fire out,” he said.
But last Wednesday, May 14, a Met Police misconduct panel found that he had thrown petrol bombs.
They also found his actions were aggravated as he tried to blame others for his wrongdoing, failed to call the fire brigade and was drunk.
Duthoit will be added to the policing barred list.
The training centre was purpose built in 2003 and features mock roads, shops, a pub, a bank, a nightclub, a football stadium, train and underground stations.
