Cop David Carrick should have been stopped before he became a serial sex attacker

An armed Met Police officer was branded a ‘prolific, serial sex offender’ after he admitted 49 offences against 12 women.

PC David Carrick, 48, worked in the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command boasting he guarded important people ‘including the Prime Minister’.

Carrick admitted 43 offences against 11 women at the Old Bailey last month and another seven offences against a 12th victim at Southwark Crown Court today (mon).

The offences include 24 counts of rape, sexual assault, false imprisonment and controlling behaviour between July 2003 and December 2020.

Known by his colleagues as ‘Bastard Dave’, Carrick locked a woman in a cupboard under the stairs, forced another to perform a revolting sex act and urinated on his victims.

He beat a woman with a belt, caused another to choke on her vomit, assaulted one with a sex toy and raped one of his victims in the woods.

He appeared at the Southwark Crown Court today wearing a dark suit as he admitted four counts of rape, indecent assault and false imprisonment between 3 July and 31 July 2003.

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, the court heard.

Prosecutor Mr Tom Little, KC, said today: ‘There is now no need for a trial.’

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.

He will face sentence after a two day hearing on February 6 and 7 at Southwark Crown Court.

Carrick appeared at Southwark Crown Court today wearing a dark suit, white shirt and tie as he admitted four counts of rape, indecent assault and false imprisonment between 3 July and 31 July 2003.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told Carrick: ‘You will not stand trial on any of these serious charges you have been facing for so long.

‘I require you to attend on 6 February but I warn you that any failure to attend will be a separate offence for which you may be charged.’

Carrick was remanded in custody ahead of sentence.

A Met Police spokesperson said today: ‘As part of our continuing commitment to reform and delivering the highest level of professional standards, we are reviewing the details of any allegations of domestic abuse or sexual offences from the past 10 years where a Met officer or member of staff was involved and the allegation/resulting case has been finalised.

‘This will include a very wide range of allegations from verbal arguments and altercations in a domestic or family setting to the most serious sexual offences. It could include cases where no further action was taken and where no criminal allegations were made.

‘It is estimated that the review will consider 1,633 cases involving 1,071 officers and staff.

‘Being involved in a case that forms part of the review is not in itself a finding of wrongdoing or sufficient reason to remove an officer from frontline duties.

‘It is therefore likely that the majority of officers whose involvement in past incidents is being reviewed will not automatically be subject to restrictions.

‘There are already a number who are subject to risk management measures and this process is to confirm that these measures are sufficient.

‘In the event that information was to emerge from a review that raised concerns then an officer or member of staff’s status would be reconsidered without delay. All new allegations against officers and staff are subject to robust risk management including restrictions and suspension where appropriate.’

Last month Carrick admitted 43 charges relating to 11 women and today (mon) he pleaded guilty to a further six counts including rape and sexual assault of a 12th victim.

The 49 charges cover multiple offences, meaning Carrick has admitted to at least 71 instances of serious sexual offending.

The striking similarities in the victim accounts show how the officer manipulated them, assaulting them physically, sexually and also mentally.

Carrick altered victims’ daily routines, isolating them, controlling what they wore and even abusing them as they slept.

The case against him involves 300 witness statements and up to 4,000 pages of evidence.

Shilpa Shah, the Senior Crown Prosecutor in the case, said: ‘With a vast number of charges for rape and serious sexual assault, as well as victims spanning a 17-year-period, this is one of the most significant cases the Crown Prosecution Service has dealt with.

‘It was harrowing seeing how victims were relentlessly manipulated; they were financially cut off and isolated from their friends and family and repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted. Carrick took so much from them both physically and mentally.

‘It didn’t matter to Carrick who the victim was – a new girlfriend, a partner, a friend or a stranger – he would still abuse them.

‘Although the names of the women who showed tremendous courage in overcoming this manipulation to report these abhorrent crimes won’t ever be made public, they need to be commended, and I want to thank them for coming forward and providing the evidence we needed to secure today’s conviction and end Carrick’s offending.’

Carrick should have been stopped by his colleagues long before he became Met’s worst ever sexual offender, the force has admitted.

The cop, who has admitted 49 offences against 12 women, including 24 of rape, was known as ‘Bastard Dave’ by officers he worked with as he repeatedly escaped prosecution.

Members of the public had complained about him five times between 2002 and 2008 and nine off-duty incidents had come to the attention of the Met and other forces prior to his suspension in October 2021.

During this time he was using his status as a response officer and a member of the elite Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command (PaDP) to prey on dozens of victims in often depraved and sadistic attacks between July 2003 and December 2020.

Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray admitted that not getting to Carrick sooner had allowed him to carry out further offences.

‘On behalf of the Metropolitan Police, I want to apologise to the women who have suffered at the hands of David Carrick,’ she said.

‘He used the fact he was a police officer to control and coerce his victims. We know they felt unable to come forward sooner because he told them they would not be believed.

‘We should have spotted his pattern of abusive behaviour and because we didn’t, we missed opportunities to remove him from the organisation.

‘We are truly sorry that being able to continue to use his role as a police officer may have prolonged the suffering of his victims.

‘Carrick is a prolific, serial sex offender who preyed on women over a period of many years, abusing his position as a police officer and committing the most horrific, degrading crimes.

‘He has devastated women’s lives.

‘He has had a devastating impact on the trust and confidence of women and girls that we are working so hard to earn.

‘He has devastated colleagues.

‘Whilst much of his offending was not known to the Met there was an escalation of abusive behaviours that should have been identified. The matters have been referred to the IOPC.

‘I would not expect anyone with his pattern of behaviour to be in the police service today.

‘Our work to identify and rid the Met of corrupt officers is determined and focussed.’

Carrick, who served in the British Army from 1996 to 1997, joined the Met in August 2001 as a response officer based in Merton, southwest London. In 2009 he transferred to PaDP where he remained until his arrest and suspension in October 2021.

He was first arrested by Hertfordshire Constabulary in July 2021 and placed on restricted duties following an allegation of rape.

After that matter was inititally dropped, Carrick was permitted to resume police duties for two months. He has now admitted that offence.

Between 2002 and 2008 two members of the public claimed he had been rude and three others made complaints about incivility and use of force.

The nine off-duty incidents had come to the attention of the Met and other forces prior to his suspension in October 2021 included allegations of malicious communications and burglary in 2000 that were dropped.

Claims of harassment and assault against a former partner that were not referred to the Directorate of Professional Standards as they should have been.

Carrick was involved in a series of domestic incidents in 2004 and 2009 but no criminal allegations were made.

He was a suspect in a Hampshire Police investigation following an allegation of harassment and ejected from a nightclub in Reading for being drunk in 2017.

In 2019 it was alleged he assaulted a woman during a domestic incident dealt with by Hertfordshire Constabulary, specifically that he grabbed her by the neck. Again, no further action was taken.

Today he admitted he is the Met’s worst ever sexual offender after he confessed to 49 offences against 12 women including 24 of rape, between July 2003 and December 2020.

Carrick, from Stevenage, Herts, locked a woman in a cupboard under the stairs, forced another to perform a revolting sex act and urinated on his victims.

He beat a woman with a belt, caused another to choke on her vomit, assaulted one with a sex toy and raped one of his victims in the woods.

Carrick also threatened a woman with an imitation firearm.

He 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.

He showed her his Scotland Yard warrant card and boasted about guarding the Prime Minister, a court heard.

Outlining the allegation, prosecutor Mark Fleckney said earlier: ‘They went to a public house in St Albans.

‘When she arrived, he offered a bottle of wine, which she doesn’t drink, but she felt she had to drink it.

‘He confirmed he was a Met police officer and indeed showed her his warrant card.

‘He told her he wanted a “submissive woman”.

‘They went to a second public house.

‘She wanted to leave, but felt she couldn’t leave by herself. They went to a Premier Inn where Mr Carrick told her he had booked a room.

‘The woman woke up in the bath, in the hotel room naked, with sick in her hair.

‘She couldn’t remember how her clothes came off, or how she got in the bath.’

After the woman left the bath, Carrick anally raped her on the bed while calling himself a ‘dominant b*****d’, the court heard.

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

Officers who knew Carrick confirmed that he was known by colleagues as ‘Bastard Dave’.

DAC Helen Millichap said this was not a reference to his sexual behaviour but because he was ‘mean and cruel.’

AC Gray said commended the bravery of the victims in coming forward and added: ‘Carrick is a prolific, serial sex offender who preyed on women over a period of 17 years, abusing his position as a police officer and committing the most horrific, degrading crimes.

‘He has devastated women’s lives. He has had a devastating impact on the trust and confidence of women and girls that we are working so hard to earn. He has devastated colleagues.’

According to AC Gray, HM inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), responsible for independently assessing policing, have found 18,000 vetting files that had not been properly investigated due to significant under investment.

When asked how many police officers have had rape allegations made against them, she did not have the specific number of rape allegations, but said: ‘I want to confirm he number but to my understanding it’s around 1,000 over the entire police and staff’.

When asked whether the Met bears some responsibility for Carrick’s offending, AC Gray said: ‘I would not expect him to be able to join the police. I certainly believe there’s a pattern of behaviour that should have been identified. Would it have stopped him being a sex offender? I doubt it.’

She added: ‘With the policies that are in place now, Carrick would not have been a police officer today … Would there have been opportunities to stop him being a police officer – yes. Would that have stopped him being a sex offender – I don’t think so.

‘This has been a huge step back for us. There’s no doubt … The emphasis on high standards and us rooting out the corrupting officers and staff that are in our midst has never ever been clearer.’