Met officer cleared over David Carrick conduct investigation 

A Met Police officer has been cleared of gross misconduct over allegations relating to a misconduct investigation into serial sex offender and former Met officer David Carrick. 

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigated the misconduct investigation by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), after a former partner of Carrick made a report in July 2021 of rape and sexual assault by him. 

The criminal investigation, which was carried out by Hertfordshire Constabulary, was closed and the Met’s conduct investigation found Carrick had no disciplinary case to answer.  

We concluded our investigation in September 2024 and found that Detective Sergeant (DS) Ray Mackennon, who was tasked with supervising the Met’s misconduct investigation, had a case to answer for gross misconduct over allegations relating to failing to properly supervise the misconduct investigation.

Following a five-day hearing which concluded today (20 March) the panel, appointed by the Met which organised the hearing, found the case for gross misconduct was not proven.

IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: “Our role is to decide whether any officers have a disciplinary case to answer. 

“Having accounted for his actions at a disciplinary hearing, the panel, chaired by a senior Met officer, decided the allegations were not proven. 

“Today’s decision brings to an end all of the proceedings relating to our investigations into the way the police handled allegations about David Carrick.”

Our investigation also found a case to answer for misconduct for the detective constable who carried out the investigation and the senior case manager who reviewed their findings. The force held misconduct meetings for both individuals where misconduct was found not proven.  

The IOPC carried out three other investigations into the Met’s handling of allegations made against David Carrick: 

• Two inspectors would have had a case to answer for misconduct, had they not already retired, after a report of assault and harassment made against Carrick in 2002 by a former partner was not referred to the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS). Instead, Carrick was spoken to by his line manager. 
• Two officers faced misconduct meetings, where misconduct was not proven although one was made subject to the reflective practice review process (RPRP).  This was after we investigated a failure to adequately investigate after DPS was made aware of a report of assault and harassment made against Carrick by a former partner in 2016. Hampshire Constabulary carried out the criminal investigation, but no further action was taken by the Met regarding disciplinary matters. 
• Two chief inspectors underwent reflective practice relating to failures to investigate potential misconduct by Carrick in relation to a criminal investigation, carried out by Hertfordshire Constabulary, following a report of assault made in 2019 by a former partner. 

 In a separate case, two Wiltshire Police officers, who failed to adequately investigate an allegation of abuse by Carrick five years before he was first arrested, were given final written warnings for misconduct.