Former Lincolnshire Police officer cleared of serious sexual assault
The 24 year old was accused of raping a woman in Lincoln last year - but was found not guilty at trial
A former Lincolnshire Police officer has been cleared of rape after a trial at Nottingham Crown Court.
24 year old Fraser McDowall was arrested after being accused of the sexual assault of a woman in Lincoln in October 2021.
He admitted having sex with the woman after a night out, with the prosecution claiming she was too intoxicated to give consent.
McDowall is no longer employed by Lincolnshire Police after being found guity of gross misconduct.
A misconduct hearing was held in July but the details have only just been released because the trial has concluded.
It was launched after police examined McDowall's phone as part of the rape investigation, finding he'd shared inappropriate messages in a WhatsApp conversation with four other colleagues.
Police say the tone of the chat was 'generally disrespectful, unkind and indecent'.
All five officers involved were found to have committed gross misconduct, including McDowall.
Lincoln based officers PC Craig Barratt, 40, and 39 year old PC Richard Hughes were sacked.
McDowall, along with 29 year old PC John Feeney and PC Joshua Porter, 28, would have been sacked had they not already quit the force.
Chief Constable Chris Haward said: "The behaviour of this group of individuals was abhorrent and completely unacceptable."
"We are all here to serve with respect and impartiality, and to treat colleagues in the way they have, not to mention the language they used about members of the public, is something that will not be tolerated at Lincolnshire Police.
"It simply does not belong here."