Investigating a Serial Rapist: A Controversial Encounter
A Metropolitan Police officer, who was investigating David Carrick, a serial rapist, gave him a lift home and discussed his job with him, according to a tribunal. Carrick, 51, who previously worked as an armed officer in the same force, was arrested in July 2021 after a woman reported he had raped her multiple times.
The sex offender is currently serving 37 life sentences over the attacks of more than a dozen women. Detective Sergeant Ray Mackennon told a tribunal on Wednesday that he had attended Stevenage police station on July 17, 2021 “to get a more accurate sense of the investigation” into the allegations against Carrick.
At the time of the encounter, DS Mackennon was working as a detective constable within the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS). Kevin Saunders, speaking on behalf of the Metropolitan Police, told Mr Mackennon: “You were there, impartially exploring all lines of inquiry – you have been told that the officer concerned has been accused of… raping the victim… and subjecting her to coercive and controlling behaviour.”
“Notwithstanding all of that, you took Mr Carrick home – you gave him a lift.” Mr Mackennon told the tribunal that a welfare officer had arrived late to Stevenage police station due to a lack of public transport, and because he did not have a car.
“My concern was that a welfare officer was not at Stevenage, no transport – all I wanted to do was to get him (Carrick) home, get him to an address to return back to Stevenage police station (later),” Mr Mackennon argued. But Mr Saunders said: “There was absolutely no need for you to give Mr Carrick a lift home because his welfare officer was there.”
“The reality is, they could have made their own way back to David Carrick’s house – but this was an example of you showing preferential treatment to David Carrick over the complainant at a very early stage. Do you agree with that?” Mr Saunders asked. Mr Mackennon said: “Of course not.”
When asked what was said in the car, Mr Mackennon explained: “Nothing – we spoke generally, about where he worked.” The tribunal further heard that, after returning to Stevenage police station, Mr Mackennon discussed the allegation against Carrick with Hertfordshire Constabulary officers, who reportedly told him that “without corroborating evidence” the complaint would likely be “NFA’d” (no further action).
He also wrote in a report “there were discrepancies around the account given by the complainant” – referred to as Female E – and made reference to a suggestion that “the allegation was for revenge,” the tribunal heard. Mr Mackennon denied having ever called the complainant’s credibility into question during the course of the investigation.
An officer referred to in the proceedings as Officer A was appointed to investigate Carrick in August 2021, with Mr Mackennon made supervisor of the investigation within the DPS. Mr Mackennon has also denied failing to ensure Officer A adequately investigated the allegations against Carrick made by Female E.
It is also alleged Mr Mackennon failed to ensure or direct Officer A to contact other witnesses in the matter, failed to ensure Officer A adequately investigated “derogatory, misogynistic, sexualised and grossly offensive Facebook messages” between Carrick and Female E’s partner, and failed to contact Female E herself, the panel previously heard.
Shortly after making her complaint, Female E told police she wanted to stop the criminal investigation into Carrick, who was a serving police officer at the time, as she did not feel “mentally strong enough” to continue, the misconduct panel heard. The decision was subsequently made to carry out a “streamlined investigation” for Carrick’s misconduct proceedings.
Mr Mackennon told the tribunal on Wednesday: “The victim had already been through an incredible ordeal and showed great courage to come forward and make those allegations. In the circumstances, it would have been unduly to add more pressure on the victim.”
Mr Saunders previously said the accusations against Mr Mackennon represented a “grave dereliction of duty” and that the failures in the misconduct probe “are in part or wholly attributed to unconscious or conscious bias regarding Female E’s sex or race.”
If found proven, the behaviour could amount to gross misconduct and justify Mr Mackennon’s dismissal. In 2022 and 2023, Carrick pleaded guilty to 71 sexual offences, including 48 rapes against 12 other women over 17 years.
In November last year, he was convicted of molesting a 12-year-old child in the late 1980s and repeatedly raping and abusing a female ex-partner. The misconduct hearing will resume on Thursday.
