FORMER Metropolitan police officer David Carrick was handed his 37th life sentence today after being convicted of sexual abuse dating back 35 years.

The 50-year-old molested a 12-year-old child when he was a teenager in the late 1980s, and repeatedly raped a woman during the course of a relationship while working as a police officer between 2014 and 2019.

The offences came to light after he pleaded guilty in 2022 and 2023 to 71 sexual offences, including 48 rapes, against 12 other women over 17 years.

He was found guilty of two charges of rape and one of sexual assault and coercive and controlling behaviour towards the woman and five counts of indecent assault relating to the girl.

Carrick, who was already serving 36 life sentences in 2023 with a minimum term of 32 years, received another life term, to run concurrently for a minimum term of 30 years.