Independent inquiry to look at Met officer’s ‘monstrous campaign of abuse’

Pc David Carrick was able to stay in the police service for two decades despite numerous complaints against him.

Court artist sketch of Metropolitan police officer David Carrick (Elizabeth Cook/PA) (PA Wire)

The independent inquiry looking at the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer will also consider the crimes of David Carrick, the Home Secretary announced.

Suella Braverman told the Commons Dame Elish Angiolini will include the 48-year-old’s offending in her inquiry, which was set up in November 2021.

Describing Carrick’s crimes as “a monstrous campaign of abuse”, Ms Braverman said more shocking cases may come to light as police forces increase their efforts to root out corrupt officers.

Serving Metropolitan Police officer Carrick, who was unmasked as one of the UK’s most prolific sex offenders, was officially sacked from the force on Tuesday.

The 48-year-old was found to have committed gross misconduct after admitting 49 criminal charges, including 24 counts of rape against 12 women over an 18-year period.

At a disciplinary hearing in Earl’s Court held in Carrick’s absence, the Met’s Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said: “This is a sickening and horrific case with far-reaching consequences for policing.”

Carrick’s pay was stopped when he pleaded guilty to the bulk of the criminal charges in December but there is no mechanism to strip him of his pension. Current rules only apply when crimes are directly connected to the offender’s police service.

The former armed officer faced complaints about his behaviour before he joined the Met in 2001, then again as a probationer in 2002 and several times throughout his policing career until 2021.

He was only suspended from duty in October 2021 when arrested for rape.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said weak policies and decisions meant Carrick was able to stay in the force for so long.

The Home Office has launched a review of the police disciplinary system to make sure officers who “are not fit to serve the public” and “fall short of the high standards expected of them” can be sacked.

Officials will examine decision making at misconduct hearings, and the panels tasked with leading them, as well as checking forces have the powers they need to take action against rogue officers. The review is expected to be completed within about four months.

Sir Mark told BBC Breakfast: “We’ve let London down – he’s been a police officer for 20 years.

“Through a combination of weak policies and weak decisions, over those 20 years we missed opportunities when he joined and subsequently, as behaviour came to the fore that we should have removed him from policing.

“Whether it would have affected him being a sex offender I don’t know, but he shouldn’t have been doing it as a police officer.”

More than 1,000 Metropolitan Police officers and staff who have previously been accused of domestic abuse or sexual offences are now having their cases reviewed.

Sir Mark said some will have involved a neighbour hearing raised voices, while others will have involved “very concerning” behaviour.

Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, the Commissioner was asked if he could guarantee a woman visiting a police station to report a sexual offence will not meet a police officer whose past behaviour is now under review or who is tolerating similar behaviour in their department.

“I can’t. I’m not going to make a promise that I can’t stick to,” he said.

“I’m going to put in place ruthless systems to squeeze out those who shouldn’t be with us.”

Carrick’s offending has been described as one of the worst cases involving a serving police officer that the Crown Prosecution Service has dealt with.

He met women on dating apps or while out socially, using his job to reassure and then intimidate them.

He kept some locked in a tiny cupboard for hours, beat them and urinated on them.

One ex-girlfriend told The Sun that Carrick boasted he was untouchable because of his job and would use his police-issue handcuffs and weapons at home during sex.

His mother Jean told The Guardian he changed as a teenager when a serious allegation was made against him. The newspaper did not say what the accusation was.

Carrick joined the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment aged 19 and went on tours to Cyprus and the Falklands.

About 15 years ago, he cut off contact with his mother because, she believes, he did not like his younger half-brother and sister.

She told the newspaper she was devastated by his crimes, adding: “He’s still my boy, still my son. I just don’t know why he’s done it.

“You know, when he was doing well, and now he’s lost everything.”