David Carrick, a former Metropolitan Police officer already known as one of Britain's most prolific sex offenders, has been handed his 37th life sentence for further horrific crimes, including the sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl.
A Pattern of Predatory Behaviour
The 50-year-old ex-armed officer was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Thursday, 20th November 2025, after being convicted of five counts of indecent assault, two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault, and one count of controlling or coercive behaviour. Mrs Justice McGowan imposed another life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years, to run concurrently with his existing sentences.
Carrick was already serving 36 life sentences for crimes committed against 12 women over a 17-year period, a case that sparked national outrage in 2023 when it was revealed multiple opportunities to stop him had been missed during his police career. He had received a minimum term of 32 years for those initial offences.
Historic Abuse and a Written Confession
The latest trial revealed that Carrick's predatory behaviour began when he was just a teenager. He was found guilty of indecently assaulting a 12-year-old girl in the late 1980s, when he was aged 14 or 15. During the trial, a confession letter signed "Dave" was presented to the jury, recovered from his medical records. In it, Carrick admitted the abuse was "true" and that the girl was "not crazy".
In a powerful victim impact statement read to the court, the woman, now an adult, described the lasting trauma. "The public revelations of David's actions caused me to relive my trauma which severely impacted my mental health," she said, adding that she believes Carrick shows no genuine remorse.
Further Violence and Denial
Carrick was also convicted of raping a former partner more than two decades after the child abuse, during what was described as a toxic relationship. The court heard how he initially appeared "charming" but quickly became controlling and abusive.
"Carrick ruined my life," the victim stated. "I did not get the chance to learn love in the way most people do - I learned survival instead. I fight through fear, through memories, through the exhaustion trauma leaves behind."
Despite his written confession for the historic abuse, Carrick denied all the fresh allegations. He claimed the sex with his former partner was consensual and accused her of being motivated by the MeToo movement. He also dismissed the child abuse allegations, branding his young victim a liar.
Justice Served and a Call for Others to Come Forward
During sentencing, Mrs Justice McGowan commended the "courage and resilience" of the victims who were forced to give evidence. She noted that the early assaults were the first examples of his predatory nature and stated she had "no doubt that you are dangerous."
Senior Crown prosecutor Shilpa Shah described Carrick as "a manipulative, controlling and abusive man" who was "aggressive, abusive, violent" while maintaining a facade of charm.
Detective Superintendent Iain Moor of Hertfordshire Constabulary expressed his satisfaction that justice had been secured for the victims and encouraged other potential victims to come forward. Carrick, who joined the Met Police in 2001 and served in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection unit from 2009, will now spend decades behind bars for his extensive catalogue of crimes.
