David Carrick thrown out of the police

A firearms officer who became one of Britain’s worst ever serial rapists has had a ‘catastrophic’ effect on his victims and the Metropolitan Police, a tribunal heard.

PC David Carrick, 48, worked in the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command with sex killer Wayne Couzens and boasted he guarded important people including the Prime Minister.

Carrick was formally thrown out of the force after he admitted 49 offences against 12 women, including 24 counts of rape, sexual assault, false imprisonment and controlling behaviour between 2003 and 2020.

He faces a possible life sentence when he is sentenced next month.

Known by his colleagues as ‘Bastard Dave’, Carrick locked a woman in a cupboard under the stairs and starved her for ten hours.

He beat a woman with a belt, caused another to choke on her vomit, assaulted one with a sex toy and urinated on his victims.

The armed officer was able torture and abuse women for 17 years despite coming to police attention nine times before his arrest.

He called women ‘fat and lazy’ and treated them like slaves as he controlled them financially.

Victims were isolated from their family and forbidden from speaking with other men.

Carrick said ‘not again’ when he was arrested on 2 October 2021 after a woman came forward to police alleging she had been raped in a Holiday Inn hotel in St Albans on 5 September 2020.

That charge was dropped against the officer at the Old Bailey last month – but it was claimed he had met the woman on the Tinder dating app and showed her his Scotland Yard warrant card.

Carrick was said to have raped her while calling himself a ‘dominant b*****d’.

The armed officer had 40 internet searches for pornography of anal sex on his electronic devices when they were examined by police.

Carrick was thrown out of the force following an accelerated misconduct hearing at Empress State Building in Fulham that lasted one hour and 30 minutes.

Chairing the hearing, Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe said: ‘It is alleged that PC Carrick’s behaviour has fallen far below the professional standard required in that at all times he was a serving Metropolitan Police officer.

‘PC Carrick behaved in a manner that brings discredit to the police service and/or undermines the public confidence in the police service.’

Hywel Jenkins, counsel for the Commissioner, said: ‘So far as these proceedings are concerned, they date back to 13 December 2022 when this officer, David Carrick, pleaded guilty to 20 counts of rape, nine sexual assaults, five counts of assault by penetration, three counts of controlling coercive behaviour, two of false imprisonment, two attempted rape, one attempted assault by penetration and one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

‘He pleaded guilty to a further four counts of rape and false imprisonment relating to a 40-year-old woman.

‘On December 2022 the appropriate authority served papers on the officer alleging gross misconduct in respect of those convictions and a certificate … was served to David Carrick for him to cease being an officer without further delay.

‘The allegations may be put briefly. By virtue of the conduct set out above, that is the convictions outlined, we allege PC Carrick behaved in a manner which brings discredit to the police service and undermines public confidence in policing, and that conduct amounts to misconduct that is gross misconduct, namely by virtue of discreditable conduct.’

Carrick, who did not attend, provided no explanation for his non-attendance and it was decided it was ‘in the public interest’ to continue in his absence. He made no representations prior to the hearing.

AC Rolfe, concluding that Carrick’s conduct amounted to gross misconduct, said: ‘I am required by regulation … to review the facts of the case and decide whether on the balance of probabilities PC Carrick’s conduct amounts to gross misconduct.

‘I have therefore considered that on the balance of probability, I find, based on the undisputed evidence, that on the 13 December 2022, PC Carrick was convicted on the basis of [his convictions].

‘I therefore find each of the factual allegations proven on the balance of probabilities.

‘I find that PC Carrick’s conduct breaches the standards of credibility required of an officer, plainly his actions both discredit the police service and undermine public confidence in it. Any criminal conviction will be serious and likely to have an adverse impact on public confidence in policing.

‘PC Carrick’s conduct includes three types of conduct that should be considered especially serious, criminal convictions, sexual impropriety and violence against women and girls.

‘The number of criminal convictions PC Carrick was convicted of leave no doubt in my mind that it amounted to gross misconduct that means that dismissal is justified.’

Arguing that Carrick should leave the force without delay as a result of his gross misconduct, Mr Atkins said: ‘These offences were heinous, targeted and deliberate.

‘The effect can be summarised merely in one word: catastrophic.

‘But in addition to the effect on the victims and their families, there has been an effect on the police force.

‘A factor of greatest importance is the impact on the standing and reputation on the police force as a whole.

‘Convictions for grave offences will be likely to damage immeasurably the reputation of the Metropolitan Police Service.

‘It has been said already by those in authority that policing has taken a step backwards as a result of these convictions.

‘20 cases of rape alone involving the intimidation and degradation of women. On the mitigating features side of it, there is only really the plea of guilty, late as it was.

‘In our submission PC Carrick should cease to be a member of the force without delay.’

Taking disciplinary action to dismiss Carrick without notice, AC Rolfe said: ‘The offences caused by PC Carrick to be convicted were very serious overall and the number of offences further his culpability.

‘That offending involves fundamental breach in the police conduct and bringing the reputation of the police force into disrepute.

‘The public’s reaction as reported in the media underlines how PC Carrick’s behaviour has affected the opinion of the public. This conduct would have harmed the confidence of members of the public, particularly women and young girls to come forward as victims of offences.

‘In light of this seriousness, his guilty pleas give rise to very little mitigation.

‘PC Carrick plainly presents a grave risk to members of the public, particularly women.

‘It is my conclusion that the only appropriate disciplinary action is one of dismissal. Anything less of a dismissal finding would simply be insufficient given the seriousness of the misconduct and the need to maintain public confidence in the standards of the police force.

‘This is a sickening and horrific case with far reaching consequences for policing and I highly hope that we never see a case of this like again.’

Carrick, of Shephall, Stevenage, admitted 24 counts of rape, two of attempted rape, nine of sexual assault, five of assault by penetration, one attempted assault by penetration, three of controlling and coercive behaviour, three of false imprisonment, causing a person to engage in sexual activity and indecent assault.

The officer had denied raping a 13th victim, namely the woman in the Holiday Inn and faces sentence after a two-day hearing on February 6 and 7 at Southwark Crown Court.

Rape carries the maximum sentence of life imprisonment.