Cops 'in dock' year after David Carrick jailed as Met told reform not working
In the year since David Carrick was sentenced to 30 years behind bars, the Metropolitan Police still has a long way to go to clean up its act, one ex-officer has told the Mirror.
Carrick was unmasked as one of the UK’s worst rapists after he admitted to 24 counts of rape as well as charges of sexual assault, controlling and coercive behaviour and false imprisonment, one year ago today. The 49-year-old conducted an "unrestrained campaign of rape and abuse" over an 18-year period, as he worked with the Met Police.
Following the sentencing, the force apologised and admitted it should have rooted out Carrick earlier as it emerged he had come to police attention on nine separate occasions. Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley quickly promised that the force would go further and faster to root out corrupt coppers like Carrick.
Despite this, one ex-Met officer who spent decades with the force has hit out after figures show that in the 12 months since Carrick was put away, a number of other former officers have been found guilty of similarly horrific crimes. Former Scotland Yard Superintendent Nusrit Mehtab said she was "disappointed, but not surprised" at what she blasted as the lack of progress police had made since, citing the continual emergence of horrific cases in between.
Former Scotland Yard Superintendent Nusrit Mehtab spent decades working with the force (Sky)She continued: "The people who are offending, it’s all very well saying you’re doing it, but the mechanisms aren’t in place as far as I’m concerned. We had Carrick, the likes of Couzens before him, but it still doesn’t seem to me that they have the right mechanisms to stop these people coming in. Some have got in because they’re predators, but the police doesn’t seem to recognise it attracts predators, we’ve got people coming through vetting who shouldn’t be getting in.
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"It doesn’t feel that the Met are actually trying to do anything different. They make the right noises, and when there’s a case like the murder of Sarah Everard, or the victims of Carrick come to light, it’s all we’re going to change this, and change that, but a year on, what’s actually changed? I know change doesn’t come overnight, but a year, 12 whole months, after review after review, what’s happened?"
A spokesman for the Met said: "We have launched the strongest doubling down on standards in policing for 50 years.
A total of 108 police officers were dismissed (or would have been dismissed in cases where they had already left the organisation) in the 12 months to December 2023. This is an increase of 29 per cent on the previous year (84).
As of November 2023, 202 police officers were suspended. This is up from 84 in November 2022, a 145 per cent increase.
"We launched Operation Onyx. This is an ongoing review of every completed sexual offence or domestic abuse case from April 2012 – April 2022, that involved a police officer or member of staff where the allegation did not result in a dismissal at the time. This relates to about 1,600 police officers and staff. The purpose of the review is to look for any investigative opportunities that may have been missed at the time; and to take action to achieve better outcomes for victims and for the public. The Met is working with partners in the violence against women and girls charity sector, who are providing crucial scrutiny of this work."
Carrick's vile crimes are indicative of problems within the Met, one ex-officer warned (REX/Shutterstock)The statement went on: "We launched Operation Assure. This is a ongoing vetting review of serving police officers and staff where concerns have been identified about their behaviour. Adverse information relating to a police officer or staff can trigger a review of their vetting and could lead to it being withdrawn. There are currently 147 cases in Operation Assure. Of these, 48 have lost their vetting clearance and could now face unsatisfactory performance proceedings, leading to dismissal. One person has been dismissed so far, and 17 have resigned."
Here are some former Met police officers who have been convicted of similar crimes in the year since Carrick’s sentencing:
Adam Provan, who was jailed at Wood Green Crown Court, north London, for 16 years (PA)Adam Provan
Adam Provan was jailed for 16 years for raping two separate women eight times, as the Met were blasted in court for protecting "one of their own".
His predatory behaviour dates back to the 1990s and he targeted a female police officer and a 16-year-old girl. He took the teenager out on a date, claiming he was 22 - when he was 31 at the time. Now 44, he was described as a danger to women and one of his victims complained about his stalking and harassment back in 2005.
Judge Noel Lucas KC said: “I find it highly troubling that [the officer’s] colleagues in the Metropolitan police in 2004-05 were more concerned about looking out for ‘one of their own’ than in taking her seriously and investigating her complaints about you. Had they done so, it may be that [the second victim] would have been spared the ordeal she has had to go through.”
George Leigh
Former PC George Leigh was sacked in November last year after a misconduct panel found that he sexually assaulted and had attempted to rape a female colleague who he had met on a training course.
He tried to force himself onto the woman after she said "no" and "stop". After the two officers kissed consensually at Leigh’s home in October 2020, he went on to sexually assault her and tried to force her into oral sex.
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The Evening Standard reported that she "repeatedly pushed against [him]". Leigh denied the allegations, but WhatsApp messages after the incident supported the woman’s account. Leigh was said to have later sent her a message saying "I feel you have every right to hate me."
Justin Gilmore
Justin Gilmore was another officer who, in November last year, was found guilty of sexually assaulting a colleague. The 52-year-old had been attached to Met operations before his conviction over an incident that took place eight years ago.
The attack took place off-duty, at a social event in Southwark on July 22, 2015. Gilmore was found guilty by a majority verdict and sentenced by the court to a £1,000 fine and £1,500 costs.
Commander Ben Russell said: "This is an allegation from eight years ago but no less serious with the passage of time, and we are extremely grateful to the victim for coming forward to enable us to bring DC Gilmore before the courts. She has been incredibly brave and we would urge anyone in a similar situation to come forward so we can help, support and investigate.
"This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable and we are committed to ridding the Met of those who should not be here."
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