Serving Met police officer appears in court after being charged with rape

The alleged incident took place in September 2020

A Metropolitan police officer has been remanded in custody after appearing in court on Monday charged with rape. PC David Carrick, of Stevenage, is accused of attacking a woman in St Albans during the night of 4 September 2020. The 46-year-old, who is based within the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, appeared at Hatfield Magistrates' Court via video link. Carrick was remanded in custody and is due to appear at St Albans Court on 1 November. The Met said Carrick was off-duty at the time of the alleged incident and was suspended on October 2 last year. Carrick was charged by Hertfordshire Constabulary on October 3 after being arrested the day before. The matter has also been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Police Commissioner Cressida Dick responded to the allegations: "I am deeply concerned to hear the news that an officer from the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command has been arrested and now charged with this serious offence.

"I fully recognise the public will be very concerned too. Criminal proceedings must now take their course so I am unable to comment any further at this stage."

Malcolm McHaffie, the chief crown prosecutor of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for Thames and Chiltern, told The Guardian that Carrick will appear at Hatfield magistrates court.

He went on to remind the general public that "all criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has a right to a fair trial", adding that: “It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”