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6 months ago
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Former serving Met Police officer Cliff Mitchell who carried out 13 rapes and told one of his victims 'you've met the devil' as he tied her up and kidnapped her in a car has been jailed for life.
The depraved rapist was sentenced to life today for 10 counts of rape, three counts of rape of a child under 13, one count of kidnap and breach of a non-molestation order.
The attacker - who was labelled 'a pathetic excuse of a man' by his victims - will serve a minimum sentence of 13 years and 225 days for his crimes that took place between 2014 and 2023. If he is ever released he will remain on licence for the rest of his life.
Mitchell approached one of his victims with a knife in September 2023 before telling her to put her arms behind her back and tying her arms up with cables. He also put tape over her mouth.
The 24-year-old, of Wandsworth, was a serving officer at the time and was later dismissed from the Met in December 2023 following an accelerated misconduct hearing.
Former serving Met Police officer Cliff Mitchell who carried out 13 rapes has been jailed for life
One of Mitchell's victims said he forced her and another person to get into his car and only managed to escape by saying she had to get out of the vehicle because she felt sick.
The court had heard that he laughed at his victim as she cried, told her she was a slut and that no-one would believe her if she said anything because he was a police officer.
She was later seen running through traffic by members of the public before a passer-by noticed what was going on and managed to get her in her vehicle, his trial was told.
In a 999 call played to the court, the distressed woman told the operator 'he's kidnapped me' and 'he's behind us' as she travelled in the car of the passer-by who had offered help.
A search of an address linked to Mitchell following his arrest found a bag containing cable ties, similar to those used to bind the victim's wrists.
Mitchell had previously been subject to a rape investigation in 2017, which had resulted in no further action.
Following his arrest, the case was re-investigated and a file was passed to the CPS.
Serial rapist Cliff Mitchell, 24, told one of his victims he was 'the devil'
As a result he was charged with six further counts of rape of a girl relating to a second victim, between 2014 and 2017. The child was assaulted on at least 30 other occasions.
Mitchell was a PC in the Met's West Area Basic Command Unit and was serving in Hounslow when a number of the offences were committed, the Met said previously.
He was suspended from the force after the allegations came to light and has since been dismissed.
In the sentencing hearing, one victim's statement addressing Mitchell read: 'You have shown no remorse for what you did to us. You deserve to spend the rest of your life in a cell because you are a serious danger to every woman walking the streets.
'You are the devil. You disgust me. I hope you suffer for the rest of your life.'
The court heard how the women suffer from post traumatic stress disorder from their ordeals and struggles they now face in daily life.
The other victim, who said she lives in constant fear, said to Mitchell in court: 'I'm holding you account for your actions, you took away my self worth.
'You are a pathetic excuse of a man. I'm letting myself heal from the trauma.'
Sentencing Mitchell this afternoon, Mrs Justice May said his crimes were so serious 'a sentence of life imprisonment is required'.
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Mitchell drawn on February 5
The judge said: 'Cliff Mitchell is clearly a deeply troubled young man... [his] serious offending appears to have arisen for desire for control.
'The fact he was a police officer, albeit for a short time, will make imprisonment a harsher experience for him.'
She also praised the bravery of the victims for coming forward and giving evidence in the trial, as well as the police officers involved in the case and the passerby who stopped to help one of the victims.
In February, Mitchell was found guilty of 10- counts of rape, three counts of rape of a child under 13, one count of kidnap and breach of a non-molestation order following a trial at Croydon Crown Court.
Speaking after his conviction, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy described Mitchell's actions as 'deplorable'.
He continued: 'This is a truly shocking case and I am sickened by Mitchell's abhorrent behaviour and the pain he has caused the victims, who have shown enormous bravery by coming forward and giving evidence in court.
'It is down to their courage that he has been convicted and faces a significant custodial sentence. I would also like to recognise the brave member of the public who came to the aid of one of the victims as she ran from Mitchell's car.
'Mitchell not only carried out a sustained campaign of abuse against both of his victims, but he told one of them she would never be believed due to the fact he was a police officer.
'This brazen abuse of power makes Mitchell's actions all the more deplorable. I know this is another case which will impact the confidence people have in us.
'We are doing more than we have done in decades to rid the Met of those who corrupt our integrity, including investing millions of pounds into our professional standards team and bringing in additional officers and staff with specialist skills and experience to investigate criminality and misconduct.
'Part of that is dismissing officers who should not be here at the earliest opportunity. Mitchell was dismissed from the Met in December 2023 - we did not wait for his conviction today.'
Monsters of the Metropolitan Police: The other officers who have committed abominable crimes on duty
David Carrick , who was convicted of 85 offences, including 48 rapes against a dozen women, has had most of his £22,000 annual pension stopped after the Mayor's move
Carrick, 49, was a Met officer for 20 years until his arrest in 2021
David Carrick - serving a minimum of 30 years for 48 rapes against a dozen women
Vile David Carrick, 49, is currently serving a life sentence for a string of violent sexual assaults that made him one of Britain's most prolific rapists.
Carrick was convicted of 85 offences, including 48 rapes against a dozen women and was this year stripped of his police pension by London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Carrick was a Met officer for 20 years until his arrest in 2021. From 2009 he served in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Unit, which requires one of the highest security clearances for a police officer.
Throughout his career he raped at least a dozen women, many of whom he was in a relationship with, met through a dating app or were among his colleagues.
He told his victims: 'I'm a police officer, you're safe with me.'
Wayne Couzens is serving a whole life order for rape and murder
Sarah Everard, 33, was abducted, raped and murdered by Couzens while he was a serving Metropolitan Police officer
Wayne Couzens - serving life without parole for the murder of Sarah Everard
Wayne Couzens, 50, is currently serving a whole life term for the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard, 33, in March 2021.
It was the first time the sentence had been imposed for a single murder of an adult not committed in the course of a terror attack.
The depraved killer used Covid powers to conduct a fake arrest of the marketing executive as she walked home from a friend's house in March 2021 before raping and murdering her.
The then serving officer, who used his warrant card and handcuffs to carry out the crime, had been planning for at least a month before abducting Ms Everard as she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham, south London.
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