Officer in Wayne Couzens’ Parliamentary Protection unit is charged with RAPE 7 months after Sarah Everard’s murder

A MET Police officer working in the same unit as twisted murderer Wayne Couzens has been charged with rape – seven months after Sarah Everard’s murder. 

PC David Carrick, 46, was based within the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and was charged with a sex attack on Sunday. 

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The officer, who has been suspended, was arrested on October 2 by Hertfordshire Constabulary. 

Carrick will appear via video link at Hatfield Magistrates Court on Monday morning. 

He has been charged with one count of rape following an alleged attack on a woman on September 4 last year.

A referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

Commissioner Cressida Dick said: “I am deeply concerned to hear the news today 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.”

It is unclear if Carrick and Couzens were working in the Parliamentary Protection unit at the same time.

Malcom McHaffie, from the CPS, added: “The CPS has today authorised Hertfordshire Constabulary to charge serving Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick, 46, with one count of rape following an alleged attack on a woman on the night of 4 September 2020.

“The defendant’s first court appearance will take place via video link at 10am tomorrow at Hatfield Magistrates’ Court.

“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has a right to a fair trial.

“It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

‘DEEPLY INSULTING’

It comes after it emerged serving cop Couzens used his warrant card and handcuffs to abduct, rape, and kill Sarah, 33.

He stopped her on a street in South London claiming to be an undercover officer arresting her for breaching Covid lockdown laws.

He then drove her handcuffed to Kent where he raped then strangled her with a police belt.

Following Sarah’s murder, the Met have been put under intense scrutiny for their new strategy aimed to protect women.

Scotland Yard were slammed for urging women to “flag down a bus” if approached by a lone male cop. 

The Met are advising any woman stopped by a male officer they don’t trust should “run into a house” or “wave down a bus”.

They also say Londoners should “shout out to a passer-by” or call 999 despite women highlighting a deep mistrust of police after Sarah’s killing.

Other parts of the Met’s strategy include telling members of the public to first ask “very searching” questions if they don’t trust an officer.

But their new guidance has sparked outrage – with many branding it “deeply insulting” and “derisory”.

Perhaps women need to consider in terms of the legal process, to just learn a bit about that legal process

Commissioner Philip Allott

North Yorkshire Commissioner Philip Allott was also forced to apologise after facing a backlash when he said that women “need to be streetwise” following Sarah’s death.

Allott said: “So women, first of all, need to be streetwise about when they can be arrested and when they can’t be arrested. She should never have been arrested and submitted to that.

“Perhaps women need to consider in terms of the legal process, to just learn a bit about that legal process”.

Five other police officers have also been accused of sharing “shared misogynistic and racist messages” with Couzens months before he killed Sarah. 

The cops, some of whom are now under criminal investigation, allegedly shared the “vile” messages in a chat with the killer – who will now spend his entire life behind bars for his heinous crimes.

The officers, including three from the Met Police, are said to have shared grossly offensive material with Couzens on a WhatsApp group.

According to The Times, the alleged messages were misogynistic, racist and homophobic in nature.

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