Cop sacked after testing positive for cocaine wins his job back because he 'was exposed to the illicit drug during a close encounter with a barmaid'
- Leichhardt police officer won back job after being sacked over test for cocaine
- Stefan Ellis was suspended from police force following buck's party in 2015
- Mr Elias denied ever taking the drug and argued he was accidentally exposed
- He told investigators he was 'intimate' with woman suspected of taking drug
A police officer has won back his job despite being dumped from the force over a positive cocaine reading.
Stefan Elias was suspended from Leichhardt police in Sydney's inner west in 2017.
The sacking came after a hair follicle test returned a positive cocaine reading following a buck's party in 2015.
An internal investigation was launched into the matter after a Snapchat video - which Mr Elias posted - was brought to the attention of his managers.
Topless men were shown dancing on the couch and a colleague said Mr Elias associated with some other friends, one of whom admitted to having taken cocaine.
Mr Elias has always denied he used the illicit drug.
Mr Elias openly admitted to investigators that he was 'intimate' with a female who may have taken cocaine on the night (stock image)
A police officer has won back his job despite being dumped from the force over a positive cocaine reading (stock image)
He openly admitted to investigators that he was 'intimate' with a female who may have taken cocaine on the night.
'Present at the party are females who are hired to perform the role of 'beer wenches' or who are friends of the 'beer wenches',' the investigation read.
'At another point during the weekend the subject officer had another female he believed had used cocaine sitting on his lap for an extended period of time.'
The officer co-operated with investigators and surrendered hair and urine samples to be tested.
Only the hair sample returned a positive reading and Mr Elias was suspended in May 2015.
Mr Elias spoke to Professional Standards Commands investigators and argued he could have been exposed to cocaine during police duties, at a night club or the buck's party.
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He was reinstated in March 2016 and returned to the force with restricted duties, before he was suspended again in June later that year and eventually removed.
Though, Mr Elias successfully appealed the decision in the NSW Industrial Relations Commissions on Wednesday.
Industrial Relations Chief Commissioner Peter Kite concluded the hair test could not positively determine if Mr Elias had taken cocaine or been exposed to it.
A report of the hair test at the time showed that the concentration of cocaine in the sample was 'relatively low'.
What's more, it said: 'There was no evidence to suggest the subject officer was a regular consumer of cocaine'.
The investigation also referred to the negative cocaine reading in the urine test.
'Had he [Mr Elias] used cocaine while at the 'Bucks Party' it is more likely than not he would have had a positive urine sample which he didn’t.'
Industrial Relations Chief Commissioner Peter Kite concluded the hair test could not positively determine if Mr Elias had taken cocaine or been exposed to it
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