Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Judge sentences Scotland Yard ex-officer to 36 life terms for rape

Justice Parmjit Kaur “Bobbie” Cheema-Grubb, presiding over the sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court in London, ordered David Carrick to serve a minimum of 30 years behind bars before being considered for parole.

Judge sentences Scotland Yard ex-officer to 36 life terms for rape

In a shocking case that has dominated headlines in the UK, an Indian-origin judge on Tuesday handed down 36 life sentences to a serial rapist convicted of violent and brutal sexual offences against a dozen women over a 17-year period as a Scotland Yard police officer.

Justice Parmjit Kaur "Bobbie" Cheema-Grubb, presiding over the sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court in London, ordered David Carrick to serve a minimum of 30 years behind bars before being considered for parole.


She told the 48-year-old Metropolitan Police ex-officer that he had shown an "astonishing degree of moral corruption" and praised his victims’ courage for coming forward.

"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,” said Justice Cheema-Grubb.

"Behind a public appearance of propriety and trustworthiness, you took monstrous advantage of women drawn into intimate relationships with you. You brazenly raped and sexually assaulted many women, some you barely knew. 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," she said.

"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," she added.

UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman issued a statement after the sentencing hearing to say Carrick's crimes were a "scar” on the police force.

"It is vital we uncover how he was able to wear the uniform for so long," the Indian-origin minister said.

"I pay tribute to the brave women who have come forward to hold him to account for his vile abuse," she said.

During sentencing, it emerged that Carrick was moved to a hospital while in custody after carrying out a "committed attempt" to kill himself. The judge described the suicide attempt as a "self-pitying reaction" to the "shame" he felt from the court proceedings against him.

Carrick had pleaded guilty to 49 offences against 12 women including 24 counts of rape and further counts of controlling and coercive behaviour, sexual assault and false imprisonment. He was sacked from the Met Police last month after the allegations first emerged.

“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,” said Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.

"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,” he said.

The police admitted that such cases had "profoundly shaken" women's trust in Britain’s largest and most prominent police force and pledged to put things right.

"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," he added.

During the two-day hearing which concluded on Tuesday, the court heard statements from victims as they described how they had "encountered evil" as he used a gun and whip against them.

Carrick's crimes include multiple rape and sexual offences spanning 2003 to 2020, mostly committed in Hertfordshire region of England where he lived. They all took place while he was a serving police officer.

"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," said London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

(PTI)

More For You

Sir Sajid Javid leads commission 'tackling social divisions'

Sir Sajid Javid (Photo by Tom Nicholson-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Sir Sajid Javid leads commission 'tackling social divisions'

A cross-party group has been formed to tackle the deep divisions that sparked last summer's riots across England. The new commission will be led by former Tory minister Sir Sajid Javid and ex-Labour MP Jon Cruddas.

The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion has backing from both prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch. It brings together 19 experts from different political parties and walks of life.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Masum

Masum was seen on CCTV trying to steer the pram away and, when she refused to go with him, stabbed her multiple times before walking away and boarding a bus. (Photo: West Yorkshire Police)

West Yorkshire Police

Habibur Masum convicted of murdering estranged wife in front of baby

A MAN who stabbed his estranged wife to death in Bradford in front of their baby has been convicted of murder.

Habibur Masum, 26, attacked 27-year-old Kulsuma Akter in broad daylight on April 6, 2024, stabbing her more than 25 times while she pushed their seven-month-old son in a pram. The baby was not harmed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

India declines UN investigator’s participation in Air India crash probe: Report

INDIA has declined a request from the United Nations aviation agency to allow one of its investigators to observe the probe into the Air India crash that killed 260 people in Ahmedabad on June 12, Reuters reported, citing two senior sources familiar with the matter.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had offered to provide assistance by sending one of its investigators, following the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner earlier this month. It was an unusual move, as ICAO typically deploys investigators only upon request from the country leading the investigation.

Keep ReadingShow less
Anna Wintour

Wintour’s style of leadership earned her the nickname “Nuclear Wintour”

Getty Images

Anna Wintour steps down as editor of US Vogue after 37 years

Key points

  • Anna Wintour steps down as editor of US Vogue after 37 years
  • She will remain Vogue’s global editorial director and hold senior roles at Condé Nast
  • Wintour transformed US Vogue into a global fashion authority
  • The 75-year-old has received numerous honours, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom

End of an era at US Vogue

Anna Wintour has stepped down as the editor of US Vogue, bringing to a close a 37-year tenure that redefined the publication and saw her become one of the most influential figures in global fashion.

The announcement was made on Thursday (26 June) during a staff meeting in New York. Wintour, 75, will no longer oversee the day-to-day editorial operations of Vogue’s US edition. However, she will continue to serve as Vogue’s global editorial director and Condé Nast’s chief content officer, maintaining senior leadership roles across the company.

Keep ReadingShow less
Post Office scandal trials 'unlikely before 2028'

FILE PHOTO: A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London. (Photo: Getty Images)

Post Office scandal trials 'unlikely before 2028'

THE people responsible for the Post Office Horizon scandal may not face trial until 2028, according to the senior police officer leading the investigation.

Commander Stephen Clayman has said that the process is taking longer because police are now looking at a wider group of people, not just those directly involved in decisions about the faulty Horizon computer system, reported the Telegraph.

Keep ReadingShow less