David Carrick, a former armed officer with the Metropolitan Police, has been found guilty of a series of devastating sexual crimes, including the rape of a former partner and the molestation of a young girl.
A Pattern of Horrific Offending
The 50-year-old's pattern of abuse was described as horrific, with his crimes dating back an astonishing 35 years. Carrick sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl in the late 1980s. More than two decades later, between 2014 and 2019, he repeatedly raped a woman and subjected her to what the court heard was degrading and humiliating abuse during their relationship.
These latest convictions come after Carrick had already pleaded guilty in 2022 and 2023 to a staggering 71 sexual offences, including 48 rapes, against 12 women over a 17-year period. For those crimes, he was handed 36 life sentences with a minimum term of 32 years in 2023.
The Trial and Verdict
Carrick, who was formerly from Stevenage in Hertfordshire, denied the fresh allegations relating to the rape of his ex-partner and the historic abuse of the child. He declined to give evidence in his defence during the trial at the Old Bailey.
The jury took just five hours to deliberate before finding him guilty. He was convicted of two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault, and coercive and controlling behaviour towards the woman. For the historic abuse, he was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault relating to the girl.
Aftermath and Police Response
Following the verdict, Hertfordshire police publicly praised the bravery of the victims who came forward. The force also issued an urgent appeal, encouraging any other potential victims of the serial sexual offender to find the courage to contact them.
This case raises further serious questions about conduct within the police force, given the scale and duration of Carrick's crimes while he was a serving officer.
