Summary
We’re closing this live blog now. Thanks for reading. Here’s a summary of the latest developments:
The serial rapist former Metropolitan police officer David Carrick has been told he will serve more than 30 years in prison before he can be considered for release. Carrick was given 36 life sentences for his 17-year campaign of terror and attacks against women, with a minimum term set at 32 years – less time served on remand.
Sentencing Carrick, the judge told him he had been “brought low” by the survivors of his years of violent sexual attacks. “These women are not weak or ineffectual. They were victims of your criminal mindset. The malign influence of men like you in positions of power stands in the way of a revolution of women’s dignity,” she said.
Farah Nazeer, the chief executive of Women’s Aid, told the BBC the sentencing came “17 years, 12 victims and at least and 85 offences too late”. She said: The courage and bravery [of the women who came forward] should be commended and that will send a message to other women in that situation that justice can be achieved.”
The Scotland Yard chief, Sir Mark Rowley, claimed the force would win back the trust of women shaken by the revelation of Carrick’s crimes. “We have let down women across London but we are more determined than ever to put it right. I have been clear, we will rid the Met of those who corrupt our integrity by bringing the same intensive investigative approach to identifying wrongdoing in our own ranks as we do to identifying criminals in the community,” he said.
The home secretary, Suella Braverman, described Carrick’s crimes as a “scar on our police”. She said: “It is vital we uncover how he was able to wear the uniform for so long, and I welcome the Angiolini inquiry’s investigation into David Carrick’s criminal behaviour and the decision-making around his vetting.”
The full report from my colleagues Vikram Dodd and Emine Sinmaz is here:
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Scotland Yard commissioner says he hopes to win back women's trust in the police
The Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, claims he will “earn back the trust and confidence of women”. Speaking after the sentencing, he said:
I and tens of thousands of officers and staff in the Met are horrified by this man’s crimes and recognise this will shake Londoners’ trust too. We have let down women across London but we are more determined than ever to put it right.
I have been clear, we will rid the Met of those who corrupt our integrity by bringing the same intensive investigative approach to identifying wrongdoing in our own ranks as we do to identifying criminals in the community. Some other police services are starting to confront similar issues.
Addressing systemic failures will take time, but we will be determined and relentless in rooting out the corrupt. Lifting the stone and confronting what we find beneath, will result in more difficult cases coming to light. We need the support of Londoners to get through it.
This is not the time for me to lay out in detail the actions we are taking to root out those who corrupt our integrity. Today is about the victims’ fight for justice.
On 31 March, we will be sharing the progress we have made on rooting out those who corrupt our integrity. We will earn back the trust and confidence of women and give Londoners the police service they deserve.
David Carrick’s crimes were unspeakably evil. The detail is harrowing.
He subjected these victims and survivors to the most degrading and inhumane treatment and yet they still showed the courage to come forward and to provide the evidence that led to his conviction.
He exploited his position as a police officer in the most disgusting way. He should not have been a police officer. We weren’t rigorous enough in our approach and as a result we missed opportunities to identify the warning signs over decades. I want to again reiterate my apology on behalf of the Met. We are truly sorry.
I recognise that as a result of this case and other prominent recent cases, there are women whose trust in the police is profoundly shaken.
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Continuing his statement on the steps outside Southwark crown court Burt told reporters:
With each report that came in we had a clearer picture of who Carrick was and what he had done.
The similarities between the victim accounts, detailing mental and physical torment at the hands of the same man, were our case. We would not be where we are today without you, the victims, taking that step forward and providing us with the vital evidence needed to prosecute Carrick.
With your help, the Crown Prosecution Service worked with the investigation team at Hertfordshire constabulary to build such a strong case that Carrick had no choice but to plead guilty.
We know there are victims of other rape and serious sexual offences out there and that many of you may be worried about being believed or whether you’ll ever see justice done.
We understand these concerns and want to reassure you that we are doing everything we can to improve how these offences are handled and are determined to see justice done for more victims of violence against women and girls.
We hope seeing Carrick, a prolific abuser, manipulator and rapist, behind bars will encourage other women to come forward, knowing we will do all we can to hold the person responsible to account for their crime.
Here’s some more on those comments from the head of the complex casework unit at CPS Thames and Chiltern (see: 1.02pm). Peter Burt said:
Today is about recognising the outstanding bravery of the victims.
It often takes courage for anyone to come forward and report a rape but in this case, to overcome the mental and physical oppression they endured, may have felt insurmountable at times.
We’ve heard the accounts of the women who suffered at Carrick’s hands. He took away their control, their right to choose, their freedom, in some cases both physically and mentally.
We cannot undo the pain and anguish of what they have endured, but I hope they can take this as a first step to rebuilding their lives knowing he can’t harm them, or any other woman.
We are so grateful to every woman who has come forward and supported this case.
Farah Nazeer, the chief executive of Women’s Aid, has told the BBC that, while the sentence is an “acceptable sentence in a very, very unacceptable situation”, it comes “17 years, 12 victims and at least and 85 offences too late”.
The broadcaster reports that Nazeer praised Carrick’s victims and said today’s sentencing was only possible due to the “courage, commitment and determination of those women who went up against an agent of the law”.
It is very hard to do that, even when you’re not up against a police officer. The courage and bravery should be commended and that will send a message to other women in that situation that justice can be achieved.
Here’s some more detail on the sentencing remarks from Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, who told Carrick earlier today (see 12.09pm):
I have read the statements made by 10 of the 12 victims, both as to their experiences and the impact it has had. There is powerful and compelling evidence of irretrievable devastation in the lives of those you abused.
Survivors of rape and coercive control react and cope in different ways. Those differences are apparent in the statements. Each one is traumatised. One woman feels as if she has been lost for the last 19 years, encapsulating her experience with you as an encounter with evil which has caused long-lasting psychological harm.
Denial, anger, hatred, betrayal, shame, self-blame and fear of being labelled a victim, are common emotions. You have shaped their lives, deprived them of the ability to trust men and form relationships.
Some have damaged mental health and suffer loneliness. They continue to question their own judgment. They don’t trust the police. Some have tried to get back control by behaving in dangerous ways; self-harming, interfering with their own health and relationships, pushing boundaries and almost destroying trust in those they value the most.
Those you controlled are trying to recover their self-esteem and lost relationships; including with a daughter who self-harms and still has nightmares because of your abuse of her mother.
These women are not weak or ineffectual. They were victims of your criminal mindset. The malign influence of men like you in positions of power stands in the way of a revolution of women’s dignity.
It is remarkable that, with one woman being driven to report an allegation against you despite your position and power, others felt able to act. Even today, courage calls to courage everywhere and its voice cannot be denied.
The home secretary Suella Braverman has described Carrick’s crimes as a “scar on our police”. She adds:
It is only right that he now faces at least 30 years behind bars. I pay tribute to the brave women who have come forward to hold him to account for his vile abuse.
It is vital we uncover how he was able to wear the uniform for so long, and I welcome the Angiolini inquiry’s investigation into David Carrick’s criminal behaviour and the decision-making around his vetting.
There is no place in our police for such heinous and predatory behaviour, and I look forward to receiving Lady Elish’s findings.
Carrick’s crimes were all carried out while he was a serving police officer. He passed vetting checks to guard sites including embassies and the Houses of Parliament and completed training courses, including one on domestic abuse in 2005.
The Met was forced to apologise and admit Carrick should have been rooted out earlier after it emerged he came to police attention over nine separate incidents between 2000 and 2021 – and was known to colleagues as “Bastard Dave”.
They included allegations of rape, domestic violence and harassment with all but one of the incidents relating to his behaviour towards women.
Carrick faced no criminal sanctions or misconduct findings and police chiefs across England and Wales have since been asked to have all officers checked against national police databases by the end of March.
He was finally sacked from the force last month after his final guilty pleas and his crimes are set to form part of the independent inquiry looking at the murder of Sarah Everard, who was raped and strangled by then-serving Met officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021.
The case is the latest in a string of damaging scandals for the Met, including Everard’s murder, racist and misogynist messages exchanged by a team at Charing Cross, and the strip-search of a teenage girl at school while she was menstruating.
Carrick sat in the dock with his eyes closed and head bowed during the hearing in a packed courtroom, including some of his victims, and showed no emotion as he was sentenced.
Peter Burt, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service complex casework unit in Thames and Chiltern, said:
We’ve heard the accounts of the women who suffered at Carrick’s hands. We cannot undo the pain they have endured, but we hope this can be a first step to rebuilding their lives knowing he can’t harm them – or any other woman – again.
The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said:
David Carrick should never have been allowed to become a police officer or stay in policing for so long. His crimes are devastating, and our thoughts will be with his victims and their families today.
A major overhaul of police standards is desperately needed but there has been a serious failure by Conservative ministers to take action. After Sarah Everard’s murder, we were promised change. But there are still no compulsory vetting requirements and progress on driving up standards has been far too slow, letting down the victims and police officers who work so hard to keep communities safe.
Labour will not sit back and leave the work to police forces. The next Labour government will change the law to make national rules on police vetting, misconduct and training mandatory for every police force. That will include an automatic suspension when allegations of serious crimes like rape and domestic abuse are made.
We owe it to the victims in this hideous case to take the strongest action on police standards and that’s what Labour will deliver.
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Sadiq Khan, whose role as mayor of London gives him oversight of the Met, has said:
My thoughts are with Carrick’s victims today. I want to pay tribute to their bravery and courage. By coming forward they have helped to protect the public and rid the Met police of a dangerous and prolific offender who abused his position as a police officer in the worst possible way.
This should never have been allowed to happen and must never happen again. There can be no hiding place for those who abuse their position of trust and authority within the police. I want to reassure the public and all the brave officers and staff who want to speak out that under the new commissioner any allegation of misconduct will be taken seriously and handled sensitively. I urge people to come forward to report any unacceptable behaviour.
I support the renewed action being taken by the commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to review past misconduct cases and I welcome the widening of the Angiolini inquiry to consider Carrick’s crimes and look at vetting and recruitment procedures and the extent of misogynistic culture in policing.
I’ll continue to support and hold the Met to account to ensure we root out all those who are unfit to serve as police officers and deliver the urgent reforms and step change in culture and performance required. As mayor, I will not be satisfied until Londoners have the police service they deserve.
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For clarity, Carrick’s minimum term was set as 32 years. He has already served some time in custody and this is removed from the sentence to be served.
In their statements, his victims spoke of how they had “encountered evil”, and the court was told Carrick sent one of his victims a photograph of himself with a work-issue gun, saying: “Remember I am the boss.”
The court also heard how he told another woman he was the “safest person that she could be with and that he was a police officer” before taking her back to his nearby flat to rape her.
The sexual predator previously admitted 49 charges, including 24 counts of rape and charges of sexual assault, controlling and coercive behaviour and false imprisonment.
The judge listed the sentences being passed, telling Carrick he would serve concurrent sentences of four, seven and nine years for a series of counts against him. In total, she told him he was being given 36 sentences of life imprisonment, with the determinate sentence set as the minimum he must serve before being eligible for release by the Parole Board.
She declined to impose a whole-life order, saying the threshold had not been met.
David Carrick sentenced to more than 30 years in prison
The serial rapist and former Metropolitan police officer David Carrick has been sentenced to more than 30 years in prison.
He pleaded guilty to 49 charges against 12 women between 2003 and 2020, with some of the charges detailing multiple offences. Sentencing him at Southwark crown court this afternoon, Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb told Carrick he would serve a total of 36 life sentences, with 30 years and 239 days to be served before the parole board can consider releasing him.
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The judge orders Carrick to stand.
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Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb tells Carrick he used his position to carry out his offences and that this risk will last indefinitely. This is significant because it will substantially influence the sentence she eventually passes.
She says she will allow a 20% guilty plea reduction. She says his attempt at suicide was more out of self-pity than remorse.
The judge says it will count in his favour when sentence is passed that Carrick was moved from prison to hospital because it was feared he was suffering from depression and tried to kill himself.
The judge is detailing the pre-sentence report, which says Carrick was the victim of child abuse; something she says he deserved to be protected from. But she says that, while he abused alcohol as an adult, he was careful not to do so while at work – meaning he was capable of controlling and moderating his behaviour when he wanted to.
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The judge says Carrick initially pleaded not guilty, but later changed those pleas. Beyond those admissions of guilt, however, she says he has not expressed remorse.
The judge says:
There is powerful and compelling evidence of irretrievable devastation in the lives of those you have abused.
She says survivors of such attacks react in different ways, but adds that he has taken away the trust some have in the police, in men generally. He says those Carrick controlled have lost their self-esteem and relationships with family members.
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The judge details another account that makes clear Carrick used the immigration status of a woman to force her to submit to his violent sexual attacks, telling her he would report her if she complained.
Here’s more on those comments Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb made earlier to Carrick (see 11.46am). She said:
These convictions represent a spectacular downfall for a man charged with upholding the law and empowered to do so even to the extent of being authorised to bear a firearm in the execution of his duty.
Behind a public appearance of propriety and trustworthiness you took monstrous advantage of women.
You brazenly raped and sexually assaulted a number of women, some very brutally, and you behaved as if you were untouchable.
You were bold and at times relentless, trusting that no victim would overcome her shame and fear to report you.
For nearly two decades, you were proved right but now a combination of those 12 women, by coming forward, and your police colleagues, by acting on their evidence, have exposed you and brought you low.
You have lost your liberty, your job and your status. You have before you the prospect of a difficult time in custody for many years.
As the judge started her remarks, Carrick – in a dark grey jacket and tie – looked at her. But his gaze dropped to the floor as she detailed the harrowing accounts of his offending.
The judge details the account of one woman, who she says Carrick left in a suicidal state after raping her multiple times. These even included times where the woman’s daughter could hear the attacks, the judge says. She says humiliation and domination were themes of the offences.
Mr Justice Cheema Grubb tells Carrick his use of his position as a police officer allowed him to continue offending for as long as he did.
She details the account of one of the survivors – the first Carrick is now known to have attacked – who was told by a nurse treating the injuries he inflicted that his fellow officers would protect him if she complained, and that it might be better for her to just move on.
The judge says this is an example of how Carrick’s position protected him and demonstrated the degree of “moral corruption” in the way in which survivors are seen in society.
The judge is summarising the women’s accounts. She has stressed that she will not name any of them in order to protect their automatic legal right to anonymity as complainants of sexual offences.
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The judge reminds him of the oath he took as a police officer to uphold the law. Yet, she says, his offences started almost immediately after he started in the job. And she says he used his job as a police officer to lure his victims, telling them he was the “safest person” they could be with.
She says the use of police-issue items to force the women he attacked to submit was a theme of his offending.
The second day of the sentencing hearing is underway at Southwark crown court.
Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb tells Carrick he has admitted 71 offences, representing a “spectacular downfall” for a man in his position of responsibility and power. “You behaved as if you were untouchable,” she adds. “for nearly two decades you were proved right.”
But she tells Carrick the survivors of his attacks have come together and, “together, have brought you low”.
Their report adds:
Carrick was a Met officer from 2001 until last month, when he was sacked.
The Met received eight complaints from women about Carrick and failed to take action or spot he was a danger before his arrest in October 2021.
In 2009 he passed selection to be given a gun and gain a plum role guarding parliament and diplomatic sites, and cleared vetting again in 2017.
Police and prosecutors said he had exploited his status as a Met officer to put victims at ease, then, as they tried to leave him, threatened that their claims against a serving officer would be disbelieved.
The sentencing hearing at Southwark crown court will hear statements from Carrick’s victims of the impact his attacks on them had.
He will be sentenced by Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, who has told the sacked former Met officer that he must attend in person.
Her sentencing remarks on Tuesday may be televised.
The court of appeal has upheld that offending by a police officer who uses his status to aid his crimes can be an aggravating factor deserving a more punitive sentence.
A court earlier heard that before one alleged attack on a woman in September 2020, Carrick, from Stevenage in Hertfordshire, flashed his police warrant card to make the woman feel safe, bragged about guarding the prime minister, and said his work nickname was “bastard Dave”.
There’s a lengthy delay in getting proceedings started this morning, so let’s recap some of the background to the case. My colleagues Emine Sinmaz and Vikram Dodd report:
The first rape charge against Carrick in October 2021 prompted 11 other women to come forward; whom Carrick eventually admitted attacking.
The offences Carrick was convicted for started in 2003, continuing until 2009 and then resuming in 2016 through to 2020. The gap of more than six years in offending puzzles detectives, who believe it is unlikely his offending was paused from 2009 to 2016.
Asked in January if there were more victims, DCI Iain Moor, who led the investigation into Carrick, said: “From my experience. I think there will be, yes.”
Carrick pleaded guilty to 49 charges against 12 women between 2003 and 2020. Some of the charges detailed multiple offences. He also locked some victims in a small cupboard.
Police have declined to say how many other potential victims have come forward since January.
Hertfordshire constabulary, which set up a website for potential victims, said in a statement: “We have already received some information via the portal and our usual reporting channels, following Monday’s hearing. We will be contacting everyone who has been in touch.
“Should any further offences come to light they will be investigated accordingly and appropriate support will be provided if required. We will not be providing further detail about the number or nature of these calls.”
Second day of sentencing to begin
Hello, this is our live blog of the sentencing of the serial rapist former Metropolitan police officer David Carrick.
Proceedings are due to start soon in courtroom two at Southwark crown court – the second day of Carrick’s sentencing hearing.
Carrick, 48, has admitted using his status as a Metropolitan police officer to commit 48 rapes amid 85 serious offences against 12 women in a 17-year long campaign of terror and humiliation. He faces a lengthy custodial sentence once Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb concludes her remarks.
Yesterday, we reported that the criminal investigation into him would stay active even after his sentencing and imprisonment, as detectives sift through information about alleged further offending.
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