A former Metropolitan Police officer who repeatedly raped a woman and child has been branded “the devil” as he was jailed for life.
Cliff Mitchell, 24, was found guilty for 10 counts of rape and three counts of raping a child under 13 relating to two different victims.
One victim told him: “You disgust me. I hope you suffer for the rest of your life.”
The other said: “You are a pathetic excuse of a man.”
Sentencing Mitchell on Wednesday (May 1), Mrs Justice May said his crimes were so serious “a sentence of life imprisonment is required”.
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.”
Mrs Justice May also praised the bravery of the victims for coming forward and giving evidence in the trial, and the police officers involved in the case and the passer-by who helped the kidnapped victim.
He must serve a minimum sentence of 13 years and 225 days for his crimes that took place between 2014 and 2023.
If he is released he will be on licence for the rest of his life.
During the trial, jurors heard how one of Mitchell’s victims was forced by him to get into his car and only managed to escape by saying she had to get out of the vehicle because she felt sick.
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.
In a 999 call played to the court, the distressed woman told the operator “he’s kidnapped me”.
Mitchell had previously been subject to a rape investigation in 2017, which had resulted in no further action, the Met Police had said.
Following his arrest in 2023, the case was reinvestigated which resulted in Mitchell being charged with an additional three counts of rape of a child under 13 and three counts of rape.
These six charges relate to a second victim and occurred between 2014 and 2017.
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.”
Mitchell, from Putney, was a Pc in the Met’s West Area Basic Command Unit.
He was serving in Hounslow when a number of the offences were committed, the Met Police had said.
He was suspended from the force after the allegations came to light and was dismissed in December 2023.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said after the verdict: “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.”
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