Met Police serial rapist David Carrick given 36 life sentences for ‘relentless’ sexual offences

David Carrick will serve more than 30 years in prison for rapes across two decades

Metropolitan Police rapist David Carrick has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 30 years.

Carrick, 48, was accused of 85 offences in total, including more than 20 rapes against 12 victims between 2003 and 2020 while he was a serving officer in an elite and armed unit of the Met.

The judge said his conviction “represents a spectacular downfall for a man charged with upholding the law.”

Carrick abused several victims at his home in Stevenage (Hertfordshire Constabulary)

Ms Cheema-Grubb said: “Behind a public appearance of propriety and trustworthiness, you took monstrous advantage of women drawn into intimate relationships with you.

“You brazenly raped and sexually assaulted many women, some you barely knew.”

Continuing her sentencing remarks, Ms Cheema-Grubb told Carrick he showed an “astonishing degree of moral corruption”.

The judge listed a number of key themes in Carrick's offending, including asserting authority and enacting “extreme domination” over his victims.

The court also heard Carrick had attempted to kill himself while on remand at Belmarsh prison and was detained in a secure hospital but was found not to be suffering from any mental disorder.

Justice Cheema Grubb said Carrick showed a ‘astonishing degree of moral corruption’ (Sky News)

Carrick, who served in the army before joining the Met, previously pleaded guilty to 49 charges relating to a dozen women.

Some are multiple-incident counts, meaning they relate to at least 85 separate offences, including at least 71 sexual offences and 48 rapes.

The charges include 24 counts of rape, nine counts of sexual assault, five counts of assault by penetration, three counts of coercive and controlling behaviour, three counts of false imprisonment, two counts of attempted rape, one count of attempted sexual assault by penetration, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and one count of indecent assault.

David Carrick will serve 30 years in prison (PA Media)

During a two day sentencing, Southwark Crown Court heard Carrick’s defending described as “systematic”.

“It was a catalogue of violent and sexual offences perpetrated on multiple victims, whether he was in a controlling or coercive relationship with them or not or even if it was just a single occasion,” Tom Little KC told the court.

Mr Little said it did not matter to Carrick who the woman was, adding: “The reality was, if he had the opportunity, he would rape them, sexually abuse or assault them and/or humiliate them.”

Carrick would keep his victims in this cupboard under the stairs (CPS)

Impact statements by victims were also read in court. One woman said she felt she had “encountered evil” after being raped by Carrick after meeting him at a bar in London.

He said “he was the safest person that she could be with and that he was a police officer” before taking her back to his nearby flat.

She “froze” when he put a black handgun to her head and said “you are not going” before repeatedly raping her.

During the attack, Carrick put his hands around her throat and said he would be the last thing she saw.

“That night I felt I had encountered evil,” she said.

“I honestly thought he was going to kill me that night, I thought he was going to rape me and kill me and that my life would be over.

David Carrick looked down at the floor as victim impact statements were read (Elizabeth Cook/PA) (PA Wire)

The woman, who was left with bite marks, bruising and clumps of hair missing, told an A&E nurse she had been raped by a police officer, the court heard.

But she was told she needed to be “ready” if she was going to complain and “she might be better to try to put it behind her and move on”.

Other women said they feared they would not be believed if they reported Carrick and no longer trusted the police after what he had done to them.

One said: “Knowing that he was in a position of trust also makes trusting people even harder because if you can't trust someone who is supposed to serve and protect you, then who can you trust?

“It scares me for people as there are a lot of women on dating apps and it is just too easy to do what he did to me, to other women.”

Suella Braverman said the crimes of Carrick are a “scar on our police” adding that it is “only right” that he spends 30 years in prison.

“I pay tribute to the brave women who have come forward to hold him to account for his vile abuse,” Ms Braverman said.

“It is vital we uncover how he was able to wear the uniform for so long, and I welcome the Angiolini Inquiry’s investigation into David Carrick’s criminal behaviour and the decision-making around his vetting.

“There is no place in our police for such heinous and predatory behaviour, and I look forward to receiving Lady Elish’s findings.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “My thoughts are with Carrick’s victims today. I want to pay tribute to their bravery and courage.

“By coming forward they have helped to protect the public and rid the Met Police of a dangerous and prolific offender who abused his position as a police officer in the worst possible way.

“This should never have been allowed to happen and must never happen again.”