A former London police officer has been sentenced to at least 30 years in jail for a "catalogue of violence and brutal sexual offending" in a decades-long campaign of abuse against women.
David Carrick had previously pleaded guilty to 49 charges relating to 12 victims between 2003 and 2020, making him one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders.
Carrick's offences, which included 24 counts of rape, were all committed while serving in the Metropolitan Police.
The 48-year-old used his position of power to intimidate many of his victims, saying no-one would believe their word against that of a serving officer, prosecutors said.
He appeared in London's Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday as Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb imposed a life sentence with a minimum term of 32 years minus the time he had already served.
Carrick had previously come to police attention over nine incidents, including accusations of harassment, assault and rape between 2000 — the year before he began training with the Met — and October 2021, when he was first charged.
Prosecutor Tom Little told the court on Monday that some of the 49 charges covered multiple incidents and that Carrick admitted "no less than 71 instances of serious sexual offending", including 48 rapes.
"There was a catalogue of violence and sexual offending perpetrated on multiple victims, whether or not he was in a controlling or coercive relationship with them or not," Little said.
Some of his victims gave written statements to the court in which they said they no longer trusted the police.
Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray said in a statement on Sunday evening that she was "truly sorry for the harm and devastation" caused to Carrick's victims.
"We let them down and we failed to identify a man in the ranks of the Metropolitan Police Service who carried out the most awful offences," she said.
"He should not have been a police officer."
Culture of corruption among some officers
But the harrowing details of Carrick's offending, which were outlined by prosecutors on Monday, demonstrate the scale of the task facing the Metropolitan Police – which has been damaged by revelations of a culture of corruption, racism and misogyny among some officers.
If you or anyone you know needs help:
- 1800 RESPECT national helpline on 1800 737 732
- Sexual Assault Counselling Australia on 1800 211 028
- Bravehearts (support for child sexual abuse survivors) on 1800 272 831
- Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380
- Lifeline (24 hour crisis line) on 131 114
Carrick had been a member of the same prestigious taskforce as Wayne Couzens, who was jailed for life in 2021 following the abduction, rape and murder of London woman Sarah Everard.
Everard had been walking home in the evening when Couzens used his position as a police officer to lure her into a car. Her body was found the following morning in woodlands 50 miles away from her last known location.
The murder prompted public rallies and outpourings of anger from women.
The metropolitan police force responded with a range of measures intended to repair trust, including an "urgent review of all current investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct and domestic abuse against our officers and staff."
Carrick's offending was not revealed in this review. He was suspended after being arrested over a rape complaint in October 2021.
The Metropolitan Police has again vowed to root out corrupt officers, committing to a review into more than 1,000 complaints against other London police.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has said he believes hundreds of corrupt officers are serving within the force and should be sacked.
"I've got tens of thousands of fantastic men and women, but I've got hundreds who shouldn't be here. I'm going to sort it out," Commissioner Rowley said.
ABC/Reuters
