A former officer in the Met Police has been sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison having admitted to a string of offences including dozens of rapes against 12 victims.

David Carrick carried out the offences between 2003 and 2020 while he was serving as a police officer, and had earlier admitted to a total of 85 offences.

On Tuesday the 48-year-old was sentenced to a minimum 30 years and 239 days for offences which included 24 rapes over a span of 17 years, for which he showed "no remorse or regret".

That means Carrick will not be eligible for parole until that sentence is served, and a parole board will be entitled to keep him behind bars after that date.

The prosecution did not seek a whole life sentence.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb tied Carrick's offending to his role as an officer of the law, stating that his status as an officer and the "use and abuse" of that power allowed him to keep offending as he did.

She recounted how his first victim had a black gun pointed to her head. The woman "had no idea if it was real" and froze in terror. Another victim had a knife brandished at her and her clothes slashed.

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Justice Cheema-Grubb told Carrick: “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.

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“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.”

Continuing her sentencing remarks, Justice Cheema-Grubb told David Carrick he showed an “astonishing degree of moral corruption”.

The judge listed a number of key themes in Carrick’s offending, including asserting authority and enacting “extreme domination” over his victims.

Justice Cheema-Grubb also highlighted the “reluctance of victims to report your offending” because of their knowledge of his “status as a police officer”.