Met Police: Former officer found guilty of rape

Ex-PC Ireland Murdock was convicted on Monday at Inner London Crown Court

A former Metropolitan Police officer has been found guilty of raping a woman while he was off duty.

Ex-PC Ireland Murdock, 26, was convicted on Monday at Inner London Crown Court of raping the woman, who was known to him, in September 2021.

Ch Supt Andy Carter said afterwards Murdock had "committed an absolutely atrocious offence, and caused his victim a lot of pain and fear".

Murdock is set to be sentenced at the same court on 23 May.

'Betrayed everything'

During the trial, the court heard that in January 2022, after the woman reported Murdock to police, he searched for the victim's name on a police system and accessed a restricted crime report relating to her, when he had no policing purpose to so.

He was dismissed from the Central North Basic Command Unit in July 2022 after pleading guilty to unauthorised access to computer material after putting the victim's name through a police system.

Ch Supt Carter, in charge of policing for the Central North Basic Command Unit, said: "He betrayed everything we stand for and I am disgusted by his actions.

"We are determined to have a Met that the public can trust, with officers that people feel confident to approach."

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]