A former Met policeman from Putney convicted of multiple rapes has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Cliff Mitchell, 24, was convicted in February of ten counts of rape, three counts of rape of a child under 13, one count of kidnap and breach of a non-molestation order. He was a serving police officer in Hounslow when many of the offences were committed.
Mitchell was sacked from the Met in December last year and on Wednesday was sentenced at Croydon Crown Court to life imprisonment with a minimum of 14 years.
On 5 September 2023, Mitchell raped a woman in her home at knifepoint before blindfolding her, tying her hands with cable ties and forcing her into his car. During his trial, the jury was told he laughed at her 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 managed to escape from the car on Longfield Avenue in Hackbridge, and ran to a member of the public who let her into her car before calling 999.
An alert was put out for Mitchell’s car and he was stopped and arrested around seven miles away from his home in Putney. When his car was searched, the police found the hooded top used to blindfold the woman and a search of his home found a bag containing cable ties, similar to those the victim had described as being used around her wrists.
Mitchell was remanded in custody and charged with multiple counts of rape, kidnap and breach of a non-molestation order. He was immediately suspended from the Met and then dismissed following a misconduct hearing.
At the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, one of victims had her statement read out in court. It addressed Mitchell and said: “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 other victim told Mitchell in court: “I’m holding you to account for your actions; you took away my self-worth. You are a pathetic excuse of a man.” Both women suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, the court heard.
Previous rape investigation
This was not the first time Cliff Mitchell had been accused of rape. In April 2017, a child reported that she had been raped by Mitchell on a number of occasions between 2014 and 2017. Mitchell, who wasn’t a police officer at the time, was arrested and released on bail pending further enquiries but no further action was taken.
Mitchell subsequently applied to and was accepted by the Met to become a police officer. He applied in 2020 and started his training in August 2021. He worked as a neighbourhoods officer in Hounslow between June 2022 and May 2023, before joining a Met response team whose officers go to emergency calls, such as burglary or assaults.
Following his arrest in September, the 2017 case was reopened by officers from the Met’s dedicated Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offending (DASO) team who uncovered new evidence and he was subsequently charged with these rapes as well.
Casey Review findings
Following the kidnapping, rape and murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021 by serving Metropolitan police officer Wayne Couzens, who used his warrant card to entice her into his vehicle, an independent review into the Met was ordered.
In March 2023, the Baroness Casey Review [pdf] found that the Metropolitan Police Service is institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic. One of the key areas of criticism and recommendations for change and review was the Met’s vetting system for new recruits and officers.
The review found that the Met had “failed over time to ensure the integrity of its officers and therefore of the organisation.” It went on: “Despite the obvious signals of major failure – with heinous crimes perpetrated by serving Met officers – it did not stop to question its processes.”
The vetting processes are “not vigilant in identifying clear warning signs such as previous indecent exposure or domestic abuse from applicant officers” and “concerns raised through the misconduct or complaints process are not well recorded and are more likely to be dismissed than acted upon.” As a result, the review found “predatory and unacceptable behaviour has been allowed to flourish.”
It also found hat the Met’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy “rings hollow since its claim to be prioritising ‘serious violence’ has really not included the crimes that most affect women and girls.”
All of those issues likely contributed to Cliff Mitchell being allowed to become a serving police officer and then added to a team that regularly visited the homes of vulnerable people.
Police response
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said [this webpage has since been deleted by the Met] following Cliff Mitchell’s sentencing: “We understand the concerns around Mitchell being cleared to join the Met after an initial report of rape was made in 2017 and the questions this inevitably raises.
“Under our reformed vetting approach, Mitchell would not be granted vetting clearance and be able to join the Met. We continue to reform and invest in our vetting unit, which today is larger, better equipped and staffed by people who are showing greater professional curiosity, diligence and determination than ever before.”
