” I Hope You Get Raped On The Way To Waterloo” The Words Of PC Mason O’connor

A Metropolitan Police officer who told a female colleague he hoped she would be raped on her journey home has been sacked without notice after a misconduct hearing ruled his disgusting remark was so serious that nothing less than dismissal would do.

PC Mason O’Connor made the shocking comment while socialising with colleagues at the Lemon Tree pub, behind Charing Cross Police Station, on October 9, 2024.

The officer, who was off duty at the time, told the woman: ‘I hope you get raped on your way to Waterloo.’

Two male colleagues witnessed the incident, with one describing the remark as ‘misguided and disgusting’ and another saying it came ‘out of left field’.

The female officer, identified only as PC A, was visibly shocked and upset by the outburst.

One colleague recalled seeing her face drop, while another was so concerned that he accompanied her home to offer support.

The following morning, the distressed officer reported the incident to Sergeant Corcoran.

At an accelerated misconduct hearing on September 15, 2026, Commander Colin Wingrove heard how O’Connor had immediately apologised and subsequently sent the woman a lengthy WhatsApp message expressing his regret.

O’Connor admitted making the remark but insisted it was an ill-judged attempt at dark humour during what he described as light-hearted banter.

He maintained that he never intended his words to be taken literally and had not wanted to cause harm.

However, Commander Wingrove was unimpressed by the explanation.

He said: ‘The Officer’s choice of words represented a serious failure of judgment and a marked departure from the standards expected of a police officer.’

The hearing was told the woman had been the only female colleague in the group and was preparing to travel home late at night when the remark was made.

Commander Wingrove concluded that O’Connor’s culpability was high, describing the language as extreme and noting the particular seriousness of invoking rape.

He also found that the comment had caused significant distress to the woman, both at the time and afterwards.

The panel chairman warned that such behaviour risked undermining public confidence in policing, particularly amid heightened scrutiny of police attitudes towards women and violence against women and girls.

O’Connor accepted that his conduct breached professional standards relating to authority, respect and courtesy, equality and diversity, and discreditable conduct.

He also accepted that the breaches amounted to gross misconduct.

In mitigation, his barrister, Luke Ponte KC, highlighted that the remark had been a single, out-of-character incident.

O’Connor had apologised immediately, reported himself to his line manager the following day and undertaken voluntary Mental Health First Aid and Welfare Support Officer training.

He had also completed approximately 18 months of unblemished service since the incident.

The hearing received 31 character references from colleagues and civilians praising his commitment, supportive nature and work ethic.

But Commander Wingrove ruled that these factors could not outweigh the seriousness of the offence.

He considered allowing O’Connor to remain in the force with a final written warning but rejected that option.

‘In weighing these overall factors in my view a final written warning would not be consistent with the public interest,’ he said.

He concluded that a lesser sanction would fail to reflect the seriousness of the misconduct or deter other officers from similar behaviour.

Commander Wingrove ordered O’Connor’s dismissal without notice and directed that he be placed on the College of Policing’s barred list.

The decision brings an end to his police career following a single remark that the officer himself admitted was gross misconduct.

The hearing took place at Patrick Dunne House in Sutton, south London, and was held in public.

O’Connor was represented by counsel and attended the proceedings in person.