The officer who was struck has pleaded not guilty to 44 crimes, including rape, over a 17-year period

The charges include allegations that PC David Carrick, a gunman who has been suspended from the Met, raped and sexually assaulted a woman in the woods

A Metropolitan Police officer has pleaded not guilty to 44 sex offenses, including 21 counts of rape, against a dozen women over a 17-year period.

PC David Carrick, an armed officer who served with the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and worked on the Parliamentary estate, appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court via video link from Belmarsh Prison today.

He spoke to confirm his name before pleading not guilty to 15 charges, including eight counts of rape, two counts of penetrative assault, four counts of sexual assault and attempted rape against five women.

The charges include allegations that Carrick, who has been suspended from the Met, raped a woman in the woods and sexually assaulted her by urinating on her and hitting her with a belt.

He has previously denied 29 other charges and now faces a total of 44 charges between March 2004 and September 2020.

They are 21 cases of rape; nine counts of sexual assault; five attacks by penetration; three instances of coercive and controlling behavior; two counts of false imprisonment; two counts of attempted rape; a number of attempted sexual assaults through penetration; and a count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

The indictment alleges that some of Carrick’s women were repeatedly raped, sexually abused and coerced into degrading sexual acts, while one woman was falsely locked in a closet under the stairs.

Ms Justice Cheema-Grubb set a hearing date of February 6 at Southwark Crown Court with an estimated time of eight weeks.

The judge said: “This is an essential trial with very serious criminal charges.

“The problem in the case will be the central consent in relation to the dozen complainants.”

Carrick, who sat behind a desk with his hands clasped in front of his face during a hearing that lasted just over half an hour, was remanded in custody.