David Carrick, the former Metropolitan Police officer convicted as one of the UK's worst sex offenders, has been stripped of the state-funded portion of his police pension. The 49-year-old was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years in 2023 for dozens of sexual offences, including 24 counts of rape, against 12 women between 2003 and 2020.
The pension forfeiture, approved by the Home Office, means Carrick loses 65 per cent of his pension, estimated at over £10,000 a year, which was contributed by the force. If released from prison, he can still receive 35 per cent of his pension fund, representing his personal contributions.
The London Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (Mopac) made the forfeiture application after Carrick's conviction, with support from Scotland Yard. Mayor Sadiq Khan stated: 'David Carrick blatantly abused his position of trust as a police officer to carry out his appalling crimes. I have been very clear that steps should be taken to remove the employer contributions of his Met Police pension.'
Pension forfeiture applies when an officer's conviction is 'committed in connection with their service as a member of a police force' and certified by the Home Secretary as causing 'serious loss of confidence in the public service' or being 'gravely injurious to the interests of the state'. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'Officers who commit serious crimes should not be entitled to their full police pension. David Carrick's crimes led to a serious loss of confidence in the police.'
Met Police deputy assistant commissioner Stuart Cundy noted that Carrick used his police status to control and coerce victims, and reiterated an apology that he was able to offend for so long. Carrick was formally dismissed from the Met in January 2023 after pleading guilty to 49 offences. The force had failed to sack him despite nine previous reports about his behaviour.
