A Metropolitan Police officer once likened to “Wayne Couzens 2” has been cleared of serious criminal allegations after it emerged that the female officer who accused him was an “alleged fantasist,” a misconduct hearing has revealed.
PC Alexander Watson was arrested after a female colleague claimed she had been sexually assaulted by an unknown male officer in circumstances said to resemble the high-profile case of Wayne Couzens. PC Watson was later identified as the suspect.
Although the criminal case against PC Watson was dropped, the internal probe led to a misconduct hearing last month. The hearing concluded that, while not criminal, PC Watson had acted inappropriately toward several younger female officers, causing discomfort through his conduct.
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The misconduct panel stated: “On multiple occasions PC Watson acted inappropriately, unwisely and in a manner which placed his needs above his responsibilities to his colleagues.”
It added that there had been a “power imbalance” between PC Watson and the female officers he mentored, noting that he made inappropriate comments about their appearance, clothing, and legs. In one case, he reportedly told a mentee she was attractive.
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PC Watson denied all allegations of misconduct. Despite this, the panel imposed a three-year written warning, citing his actions as unacceptable though falling short of grounds for dismissal.
However, the panel also acknowledged his long-standing service and high performance within the force, describing him as a “highly accomplished and experienced officer.” At the time of the allegations, PC Watson was serving with a specialist undercover taskforce targeting county lines drug operations.
“He had clearly suffered enormously as a result of the DPS investigation, and the falsified allegation made against him, which he indicated had unleashed a tsunami,” the report stated.
PC Watson has served with the Metropolitan Police for two decades.
