Met Police officer David Carrick pleads guilty to 49 sex crimes including 24 rapes against 12 women

A Met firearms officer who guarded parliament was today revealed as one of Britain's worst ever serial rapists after admitting to more than 80 sex offences spanning nearly 20 years. 

David Carrick, 48, known to police colleagues as 'B*****d Dave', today pleaded guilty to 24 rapes and a string of other sadistic crimes against 12 women while serving with the force between 2003 and 2020.

The monster took delight in humiliating his victims, who he branded his 'slaves', with some locked in a small cupboard under the stairs for ten hours without food, whipped with a belt, or forced to clean his house naked.  

Carrick would flash his warrant card to lure the women into a false sense of security and told them: 'I'm a police officer, you can trust me'. After the attacks, he would taunt his victims by saying they'd never be believed because he was a policeman and it was his word against theirs.  

He was able torture and abuse women for 17 years despite coming to police attention nine times before his arrest when rape and domestic violence allegations made against him. Today, the Met apologised for its 'horrendous' failings. 

On one of the darkest day's in the Met's 194-year history, it's emerged - 

Met is now reviewing more than 1,600 cases of alleged sexual offences or domestic violence involving officers and staff;  

Carrick appeared at Southwark Crown Court today to plead guilty to four counts of rape, false imprisonment, and indecent assault, relating to a 40-year-old woman in 2003.

In December at the Old Bailey, Carrick, who had served in the Army before joining the Met in 2001, admitted 43 charges against 11 other women, including 20 counts of rape, between March 2004 and September 2020.

He denied a further count of rape in September 2020 relating to a 13th woman, whose allegation triggered the investigation, and the Crown Prosecution Service decided it was not in the public interest to proceed to trial on the charge.

Over drinks in a pub on September 4 2020, Carrick told her he was a firearms officer nicknamed 'B*****d Dave', showed her his warrant card and boasted of meeting famous people in the course of his work, a court previously heard.

In total Carrick, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, has pleaded guilty to 49 offences, relating to 12 women between 2003 and 2020. 

They include the rape of nine different women, but some of the charges are multiple incident counts, meaning they relate to more than 80 sexual offences, including at least 48 rapes. 

Detective Chief Inspector Iain Moor, from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said the 'sheer number of offences' showed Carrick's 'prolific and callous nature' and he expects even more victims to come forward.

Carrick met some of the women through online dating sites such as Tinder and Badoo or on social occasions, using his position as a police officer to gain their trust.

'Whilst he was not a man that stalked the streets scouting for victims - he invested time in developing relationships with women to sustain his appetite for degradation and control - the coercive nature of his offending undermined his victims in the most destructive way,' said Mr Moor.

Carrick admitted raping nine of the women, some on multiple occasions over months or years, with many of those attacks involving violence that would have left them physically injured.

Some were locked in a small cupboard under the stairs in his Hertfordshire home for hours without food or forced to clean his house naked.

Carrick whipped one woman with a belt, urinated on some of his victims, and told them when they could eat and sleep.

He called women 'fat and lazy' or his 'slave' as he controlled them financially, isolated them from friends and family, and forbade them from speaking with other men or even their own children.

'He thrived on humiliating his victims and cleverly used his professional position to intimate there was no point in them trying to seek help because they would never be believed,' said Mr Moor.

'The coercive nature of his offending undermined his victims in the most destructive way.'

The officer described the false imprisonment charges as 'shocking', adding: 'Carrick forced his victim into a small under-stairs cupboard at his home address where they stayed intimidated and humiliated until he chose when they could come out. I have seen bigger dog crates.'

'It is unbelievable to think these offences could have been committed by a serving police officer,' he said.

'The offending was absolutely abhorrent and I'm disgusted by it. I have a lot of pride and respect in the police service and I'm proud to be a policeman.

'When something like this happens, it obviously places a big cloud over the service as a whole.

'But I'm hoping that as a result of the thorough investigation that we've done and the fact that he's been brought to justice will hopefully give people the confidence to be able to report matters to the police.' 

Downing Street said the actions said Carrick's actions were 'appalling'.

Rishi Sunak's official spokesman said: 'This is an appalling case and the Prime Minister's thoughts are with all of his victims. We have been clear, there is no place in our police forces for officers who fall so seriously short of the acceptable standards of behaviour and are not fit to wear the uniform.

'Police forces must root out these officers to restore the public's trust, which has been shattered by high-profile events such as this.

'The Home Office is pushing for improvement and has recently announced a review of police dismissals to ensure the system is fair and effective at removing officers who are not fit to serve, following a range of concerns including those set out in the publication of Baroness Casey's interim report into the culture and standards at the Metropolitan Police.'

The Government understands that public trust in the police has been affected by cases like Carrick's the spokesman added. 

'Certainly we're in no doubt that the public's trust has been affected by some of these high-profile cases. 

'It's why we have acted and we know that the Met Commissioner also understands the seriousness of this and has talked about it.'

The spokesman said while some changes had been made, there was 'more to do', adding that the Home Office will be bringing forward more details on police dismissals. 

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: 'I am absolutely sickened and appalled by the truly abhorrent offences that David Carrick has committed.

'Londoners will be rightly shocked that this man was able to work for the Met for so long, and serious questions must be answered about how he was able to abuse his position as an officer in this horrendous manner.

'I remain in close contact with the new Met Commissioner about this case and the work to reform the culture and standards of the Met has already started with Baroness Louise Casey's interim review now complete and a new, anonymous police complaints hotline and anti-corruption team recently established by Sir Mark Rowley.' 

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said of the Carrick case: 'This is a truly shocking and appalling case - with the most devastating rapes, sexual and violent crimes committed against women by a serving police officer. It is a tribute to the bravery of his victims that this man has now been caught.

'But it is further evidence of appalling failures in the police vetting and misconduct processes, still not addressed by Government, that he was ever able to serve as a police officer.

'Everyone who demanded change will feel badly let down today.' 

Speaking outside court, senior investigating officer DCI Moor said he was relieved for Carrick's victims that they now would not have to give evidence at trial.

He said: 'The weight of their evidence was extremely powerful and today we pay tribute to them. We commend all of the victims for their bravery in coming forward and would like to thank them for their courage and being prepared to take the stand to see justice served.

'I hope this case will give anyone who's been a victim of sexual assault or rape in the past and for whatever reason has not reported it, the courage to come forward. I would also like to commend my team who've worked incredibly hard to bring David Carrick to justice.

'The police service is committed to tackling violence against women and girls in all its forms. And I hope our response in this case serves to reassure victims of our commitment to them. The details of David Carrick's crimes are truly shocking.

'I suspect many will be appalled and sickened by his actions but I hope the victims and the public more widely are reassured that no one is above the law and the police service will relentlessly pursue those offenders who target women in this way.' 

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.' 

Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said: 'This case is a horrendous example of police failures and their complete lack of oversight and accountability.'

Serial rapist nicknamed 'B*****d Dave' who trawled for his victims on dating sites before humiliating them 'both physically and mentally'  

Serial rapist and Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick was nicknamed 'B*****d Dave' and boasted of meeting then Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the course of his duties.

The armed officer joined the force in 2001, having served in the British Army, and transferred to the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command in 2009, where his role involved guarding parliamentary, government and diplomatic buildings.

The 48-year-old Pc found some of his victims on dating sites such as Tinder and Badoo before arranging to meet at bars and using his status as a police officer to gain their trust.

Prosecutors said Carrick would appear 'fun-loving, charming and charismatic' but was 'very manipulative' and 'very self-confident almost to the point of being cocky'.

He said, 'not again', when he was arrested at his home in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, in October 2021 after he was accused of raping a woman he met on Tinder in a Premier Inn in St Albans.

When she arrived at a nearby pub on September 4 2020, Carrick had ordered a bottle of wine and the woman said she felt 'pressured' to drink as he had paid for it.

He told her he was a Met Police firearms officer nicknamed 'B*****d Dave', showed her his warrant card and boasted of meeting famous people, including Mr Johnson, in the course of his work.

She told police that Carrick called her 'disgusting' and referred to himself as a 'dominant b*****d' while raping her the following morning after she woke up naked in the bath with sick in her hair.

During his first appearance at Westminster Magistrates' Court on October 4 2021, prosecutor Mark Fleckney said a trawl of his electronic devices revealed searches for 'rough' pornography.

Carrick was suspended from duty following his arrest and remanded in custody as the investigation 'snowballed' following the publicity surrounding the case, according to police.

He denied raping the woman and prosecutors said it was not in the public interest to proceed to trial on the charge as he admitted sex attacks on a dozen other women who came forward following the first complaint.

Investigators said they discovered a pattern of behaviour where Carrick used his position as a police officer to gain the trust of his victims, who feared they would not be believed because of his position.

Carrick, who had a pet snake, exerted control by paying for dinner and drinks, so women would feel indebted to him before isolating them from their friends and family members.

He would tell some of his victims they were not allowed to eat, calling them 'fat and lazy', while others were ordered to stay in bed all day so they could have sex all night.

Women were locked in an under-stairs cupboard in Carrick's home, said by police to be smaller than a dog crate, for hours without food, or made to clean the house naked.

Carrick urinated over some of his victims and made derogatory comments towards the women, referring to them as his 'slave' or a 'whore'.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Shilpa Shah said he did not seem concerned and acted as if he was having 'a chat' during police interviews, where he claimed his victims had consented to his actions.

'He was very self-confident and quite charming, as if he was talking to his friends,' she said.

'This is a harrowing case where some victims were relentlessly manipulated - financially cut off and isolated from their friends and family and repeatedly humiliated.

'Carrick took so much from them both physically and mentally.

'Carrick was persuasive but also incredibly manipulative.

'He told the victims from the start that he was a police officer and suggested to them that it would be their word against his, a concern that a lot of victims have.

'This makes the reporting of these matters all the most courageous, as these women were going up against a police officer who controlled them.' 

Met failed to kick him out despite receiving NINE claims of rape, domestic violence and harassment  

Scotland Yard failed to throw out David Carrick despite nine incidents, including allegations of rape, domestic violence and harassment, coming to police attention over two decades.

The 48-year-old Metropolitan Police constable faced no criminal sanctions or misconduct findings over the incidents between 2000 and 2021 - eight of which involved alleged women victims.

He passed vetting procedures to join the Met in 2001 despite allegations of malicious communications and burglary against an ex-partner the previous year.

Carrick was accused of harassment and assault against a former partner while still in his probationary period in 2002 but the matter was not referred to the Directorate of Professional Standards.

He was the subject of five complaints from members of the public between 2002 and 2008, including rudeness, incivility and the use of force, with two of the incidents dealt with by management action.

Carrick passed checks to become a firearms officer in 2009 despite at least one further domestic incident involving the Met in 2004 and was re-vetted in 2017 - the same year he was spoken to by Thames Valley Police officers after being thrown out of a Reading nightclub while drunk.

By then he had also been the suspect in a 2016 Hampshire Police investigation following an allegation of harassment but he was not arrested.

The Pc was given 'words of advice' after being accused of grabbing a woman by the neck during a domestic incident investigated by Hertfordshire Constabulary in 2019 over informing his chain of command about off-duty incidents but found to have no misconduct case to answer.

He was placed on restricted duties after he was arrested on suspicion of rape in July 2021 but the restrictions were lifted after the criminal probe was dropped in September.

Carrick has now admitted two charges of rape, two of sexual assault and one count of controlling and coercive behaviour in relation to the woman.

However, Carrick never returned to full duties because he was arrested over another rape allegation in October after another woman came forward.

The investigation prompted another dozen women to make allegations against Carrick, many of whom said they had been scared to speak out because of his position.

No police colleagues ever complained about Carrick's behaviour but following his arrest some officers confirmed he was known as 'the b*****d' or 'B*****d Dave' because he was 'mean and cruel'.

Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray, the Met's lead for professionalism, said Carrick's offending was 'unprecedented in policing' and apologised to his victims for failing to remove him from the force.

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

'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.'

She added: 'What we are responsible for, and I truly apologise for, is that we have failed to identify the abusive behaviours that he has conducted over a long, long period of time.

'We are truly sorry that he was not identified earlier, that victims felt that they couldn't come forward earlier, and we have to bear that responsibility that he continued then to use his position as a police officer to exploit and manipulate and carry out his predatory behaviours.'

The Met said the force is confident Carrick would not have passed vetting procures to join the force today and said in 2009, when he joined what is now the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, previous incidents resulting in criminal or misconduct action were not necessarily taken into consideration.

The force admitted sufficient intelligence checks were not carried out when he was re-vetted in 2017 and that Carrick was not vetted again after he was arrested for rape in July 2021.

The only time there is evidence that a full review was carried out was when he was arrested in October 2021.

The case is the latest in a string of damaging scandals for the Met, including offensive messages exchanged by a team at Charing Cross and the strip-search of a teenage girl at school while she was menstruating.

Dame Cressida Dick stepped down as commissioner last year after facing criticism over the controversies and the case will be seen as a major setback for her successor Sir Mark Rowley's attempts to clean up the reputation of the force.

A review has identified around 1,000 current officers and staff who have previously been the subject of allegations of sexual offences, including rape or domestic abuse, which could not be proven or subject to misconduct proceedings.

Ms Gray said: 'It's a devastating impact that he has had on other women and girls across London, because we're working so hard to gain their trust and our colleagues are devastated when they are working 24/7 seeking to protect victims at all times.'

Of the review, a Met spokesman said: '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.'