Former Barnet-based officer David Wager barred after misconduct panel finds predatory conduct
A Metropolitan Police panel ruled Wager exploited a vulnerable woman he met while on duty in Bexleyheath in 2016
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Trust 54 because it cites official panel findings and dates but lacks named individual sources.
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Critic 67 for clear facts and specifics, but lacks direct quotes or explanation of resident impact.
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Hype 45; article uses loaded adjectives like “predatory” but provides detailed context, not pure clickbait.
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A former Metropolitan Police constable who worked in Barnet has been barred from policing after a misconduct panel found he exploited a vulnerable woman during a mental health crisis. The panel concluded that David Wager, who resigned in March 2025, would have been dismissed without notice had he still been serving.
The case centred on an incident in September 2016, when Wager attended a call in Bexleyheath. Ambulance crews had requested police support after a family member overdosed. The woman, referred to as Ms A, was intoxicated and in severe mental health distress. Wager accompanied her to Darent Valley Hospital in an ambulance.
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Allegations of assault and grooming
Ms A alleged that while in the hospital’s A&E department, Wager put his hand down her bra and touched her breast for around two seconds. She told the panel she was certain the incident happened, despite being heavily affected by alcohol and distress. She described it as a sexual assault.
Weeks later, Wager returned to Ms A’s home in uniform to conduct a welfare check, she said. The panel heard that he sent her a Facebook friend request and exchanged more than 300 messages with her over the following fortnight. Ms A said they later had sex at her home on approximately three occasions.
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Messages recovered from Ms A’s Facebook account included intimate references to sexual activity. When Wager was arrested in 2022, searches on his phone included queries about how to delete Facebook photos and messages. He denied all allegations, telling investigators he did not know Ms A and did not have a Facebook account in 2016.
Panel findings and legal outcomes
The misconduct panel, held by the Metropolitan Police in July 2025, found Ms A’s account detailed and credible. It ruled that Wager’s behaviour was predatory, as he deliberately exploited a woman he knew to be extremely vulnerable. The panel noted that Wager had recorded in his report that Ms A had a history of suicide attempts and was at very high risk of suicide.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigated the complaint and sent a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in 2024. The CPS decided in September 2024 not to bring criminal charges against Wager. News Shopper reported the decision at the time.
The panel found that Wager’s behaviour had been predatory as he deliberately exploited a woman he knew to be extremely vulnerable.
Metropolitan Police misconduct panel
What happens next
Wager has been added to the policing barred list, preventing him from working in any police force in England and Wales. The Metropolitan Police said it could not comment further on an individual case. The IOPC confirmed it had completed its investigation and referred the matter to the CPS, which reached its decision in 2024.
Ms A’s identity remains protected. The Metropolitan Police has not disclosed whether it will review its procedures for officers attending mental health crises in light of the case.
Questions this report answers
+What did the misconduct panel find David Wager guilty of?
The Metropolitan Police misconduct panel found Wager guilty of predatory conduct toward a vulnerable woman he met while on duty in 2016. It ruled he exploited her mental health crisis to pursue a sexual relationship, and would have been dismissed without notice had he not resigned.
+Why was David Wager not criminally charged?
The Crown Prosecution Service decided in September 2024 not to bring criminal charges against Wager. The Independent Office for Police Conduct had investigated the case and sent a file to the CPS, which reached its decision after reviewing the evidence.
+What happens to David Wager now?
Wager has been added to the policing barred list, which prevents him from working in any police force in England and Wales. He resigned from the Metropolitan Police in March 2025 before the misconduct panel concluded its findings.
+What did Ms A allege happened in Darent Valley Hospital?
Ms A alleged that Wager put his hand down her bra and touched her breast for around two seconds while she was in A&E in September 2016. She described the incident as a sexual assault, despite being heavily affected by alcohol and mental health distress at the time.
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