Carrick given lift home by officer after rape arrest

A Metropolitan Police officer investigating David Carrick gave the serial rapist a lift home from the police station following his arrest on suspicion of rape, a tribunal has heard.

Carrick, 51, who was an armed officer in the Met, is one of the country's worst ever sex offenders and is serving 37 life sentences after attacking more than a dozen women.

He was arrested in July 2021 after a woman told police he had raped her multiple times during their five-month relationship, a misconduct hearing was told.

After Carrick was interviewed and released, Det Sgt Ray Mackennon - who denies misconduct - gave him and his welfare officer a lift back to Carrick's home in Stevenage, an alleged example of "preferential treatment", the panel heard.

Mackennon, who at the time was a detective constable in the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), told the tribunal he attended Stevenage police station on 17 July "to get a more accurate sense of the investigation".

Kevin Saunders, for the Met, told him: "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."

Mackennon said he had been concerned about getting Carrick home because the welfare officer had arrived at the police station late due to a lack of transport.

Saunders said "there was absolutely no need" to give Carrick a lift, as he and the welfare officer could have made their own way to his home.

"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?" asked Saunders.

Mackennon replied: "Of course not."

Asked about the conversation in the car, Mackennon claimed they had talked "generally, about where we worked".

The tribunal also heard Mackennon discussed the allegation with officers who reportedly told him "without corroborating evidence" the complaint would likely be "NFA'd" - no further action.

He wrote in a report that "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.

He was made supervisor of the investigation with the DPS and denies failing to ensure Officer A, who Mackennon line managed, adequately investigated the allegations.

Saunders previously said the accusations against 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 his dismissal.

The misconduct hearing continues.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.