Former firearms officer receives additional life term
David Carrick, a disgraced former Metropolitan Police firearms officer, has been handed his 37th life sentence for sex crimes committed over more than three decades. The 50-year-old was already serving 36 life sentences for 71 sexual offences when fresh allegations emerged about his predatory behaviour.
Historic abuse and recent convictions
Carrick was convicted of repeatedly raping and abusing a woman during a toxic relationship between 2014 and 2019 while serving as a police officer. He was also found guilty of five counts of indecent assault against a 12-year-old girl in the late 1980s, when he was a teenager himself.
Despite Carrick denying these fresh allegations, the jury convicted him on two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault, and one count of coercive and controlling behaviour towards the woman. For the historic child abuse, he was convicted of five counts of indecent assault.
Mrs Justice McGowan, sentencing at the Old Bailey on Thursday, November 20, handed Carrick another life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years, to run concurrently with his existing sentences.
Missed opportunities and victim impact
The judge highlighted how authorities failed to act on a written confession Carrick made in 1990 about abusing the 12-year-old girl. In a letter recovered from his medical records and signed 'Dave', Carrick admitted the abuse was 'true' and that he had stopped about four months previously.
Mrs Justice McGowan told Carrick: "The confession was not acted on in a way that may have prevented you from attacking and raping many other women. They were the first examples to come to light of your disposition to commit predatory sexual crimes."
Victim impact statements read to the court revealed the lifelong trauma caused by Carrick's actions. The woman molested as a child described ongoing difficulties with trust and relationships, stating: "The public revelations of David's actions caused me to relive my trauma which severely impacted my mental health."
The second victim, who met Carrick through a dating website, said he had "ruined" her life and tainted her views on sex and relationships. She described learning "survival instead" of love and fighting through "the exhaustion trauma leaves behind."
During his trial, Carrick claimed sex with the woman was consensual and accused her of being motivated by the MeToo movement. He also dismissed the historic child abuse allegations, calling his victim a liar despite his written confession.
Police are now urging any other victims of Carrick, formerly of Stevenage in Hertfordshire, to come forward.
