David Carrick: Rapist will not have sentence reviewed

David Carrick admitted 24 counts of rape

Serial rapist and former Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick will not have his sentenced reviewed, the solicitor general said.

The 48-year-old was sentenced to a minimum term of 32 years in jail.

Michael Tomlinson KC said there had been "so many" referrals received through the Unduly Lenient Sentencing (ULS) scheme.

But after "full and detailed legal advice" he said it would not go to the Court of Appeal.

Carrick's crimes included dozens of rape and sexual offences over two decades, and they all took place while he was a serving officer.

During his sentencing, Carrick, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, was told he had taken "monstrous advantage of women" as he was handed 36 life terms.

His sentence of a minimum of 32 years was what he must serve before he can be considered for parole.

Taking into account the time he has already spent in prison on remand, it means he will spend at least another 30 years in jail, when he would be in his late 70s.

Carrick pleaded guilty to 49 charges, including 24 counts of rape.

The prosecution in Carrick's case said it fell short of meriting a whole-life order and sentencing judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said she agreed.

The solicitor general said he was satisfied Mrs Cheema-Grubb "gave careful and detailed consideration to all the features of this case".

Mr Tomlinson said: "Because of the strong feelings this case evokes, it came as little surprise that I received so many referrals under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme to consider the term of 32 years minus time served handed to Carrick."

He said a referral to the Court of Appeal "can only be made if the legal test is met, irrespective of the seriousness of the offending or the emotions the offending may evoke in all of us".

"The threshold for referral is a high one and that was not met in this case," he added.

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