Former Met Police Officer Found Guilty of Rape and Abuse of Power

Ireland Murdock, 26, has been convicted of raping a woman in September 2021 and abusing his power as a police officer to access a restricted report about his victim on police systems.

The conviction came after a trial at Inner London Crown Court, which concluded yesterday.

In January 2022, four months after the rape, Murdock's victim reported the crime to the police. Subsequently, Murdock ran his victim's name through the police system without authorisation. This action led to his dismissal from the force in July 2022 for gross misconduct.

Chief Supt Andy Carter, head of the unit Murdock worked in, stated: "Murdock committed an absolutely atrocious offence, causing his victim a lot of pain and fear. He betrayed everything we stand for, and I am disgusted by his actions."

"We took immediate action to suspend Murdock from duty when his offending came to light and dismissed him at the earliest opportunity as soon as he pleaded guilty to unauthorised access to computer material. I would like to thank the victim for her courage and bravery in coming forward. I would also like to thank those who investigated him for building such a strong case that led to him being found guilty."

The conviction follows the sentencing of former Met Officer David Carrick in February for 42 counts of rape and the publication of the Casey report in March, which revealed disturbing findings about the culture within the Metropolitan Police. The report included a statement from one officer claiming that rape is "basically legalised" within the force. A suspended Met officer is also being sentenced in Westminster today for repeatedly stalking a woman he met while on duty.

Chief Supt Carter added: "We are determined to have a Met that the public can trust, with officers that people feel confident to approach. When someone fails to meet these standards, we will take action to remove them from our organisation."

Murdock will be sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on May 23.