December 8, 2022 3.24 pm This story is over 26 months old

Ex-Lincolnshire Police officer cleared of raping woman

He was acquitted by a jury
| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

A former trainee Lincolnshire Police officer has been cleared of raping a 20-year-old woman after a four-day trial at Nottingham Crown Court.

Frazer McDowall, 24, was accused of raping a woman he met on a night out in Lincoln while off-duty on October 16 last year, but he was acquitted by a jury on Thursday, December 8, 2022, according to the BBC.

The BBC report says that McDowall admitted having sex with the woman, who prosecutors said was too drunk to have consented, but a jury unanimously found him not guilty of rape.

McDowall reportedly sobbed as he walked free from the dock after the verdict was returned following three hours and 46 minutes of deliberations.

McDowall, who was based in Lincoln as a probationary police officer, was previously suspended from his role. He later resigned from the force earlier this year after they uncovered “derogatory” messages he sent over WhatsApp about the complainant, the public and colleagues.

A disciplinary panel later found the messages amounted to gross misconduct and said he would have been sacked had he not quit the force.

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