Ex-DC jailed over false statements

A former detective who botched rape and sexual assault cases and then tried to cover up his failings has been jailed for 16 months.

Ryan Coleman-Farrow, 30, was sentenced for a string of failures linked to 13 cases, including falsely claiming that a rape victim had dropped charges and falsifying witness statements.

He pleaded guilty to 13 counts of misconduct in a public office at Southwark Crown Court last month.

Passing sentence, Judge Alistair McCreath told the defendant: "In all 13 cases you failed to take steps that were appropriate and necessary for a full and proper investigation of each case, whether by failing to take statements or to gather exhibits or to pass material on to other agencies for further investigation or analysis."

He went on: "All of these people had made complaints of sexual abuse and many of them were particularly vulnerable.

"Thus the complainants did not have their cases taken to court.

"Perhaps some of them might never have got that far.

"But whether those cases did get to court or not, those who were thought to be victims of sexual abuse simply did not have their cases properly investigated.

"And you covered up your failure to do them justice by lying and creating false records."

The charges relate to rape and sexual assault investigations between January 2007 and September 2010 while Coleman-Farrow was a Detective Constable for the Metropolitan Police.