Met Police officer jailed for raping two women after thinking he was 'above the law'

A dismissed Metropolitan Police officer who believed he was "above the law" has been imprisoned for 16 years after being convicted of raping two women.

Jake Cummings, 26, was also convicted of three counts of coercive controlling behaviour, two counts of voyeurism and three counts of stalking. On Tuesday, the judge determined Cummings was "dangerous" and posed a risk.

He said he must serve two-thirds of the 16-year sentence before parole could be considered. The probe into the PC commenced when a victim came forward to police in February 2024.

Another woman made similar allegations later that month after reading media reports on the case. Officers identified a third victim through the download of Cummings' mobile phone in April 2024. All three women had been in separate relationships with the former officer over four years.

He was imprisoned by St Alban's Crown Court on Tuesday for a total of 16 years with a two-year extension for 10 offences.

Cummings was convicted by a jury of three counts of coercive controlling behaviour, two counts of voyeurism and two counts of rape at a retrial.

Cummings, 26, also admitted two counts of stalking and was convicted by a jury of a third count of the same offence.

During sentencing, Judge Bilal Siddique said Cummings deployed a "strikingly similar pattern of abuse" against his victims. Cummings subjected his victims to a barrage of messages, isolating them from friends, family and colleagues, with the women he raped experiencing further degradation, humiliation and severe psychological harm.

The judge stated "this was anything but impulsive offending", adding: "The period of offending - it was nearly five years beginning in July 2019 to February 2024 - that can only be described as as nothing other than a campaign of abuse."

The judge highlighted "the sheer volume of contact", noting: "(Some of this) contact must have taken place during your shifts as a serving police officer."

During Cummings' first trial, Met officer Zak Russell told the court: "I recall on shifts that he would be constantly on his phone and would be messaging someone at all hours."

St Albans Crown Court heard how between July 2019 and February 2024, Cummings made his victims' lives unbearable.

Opening his trial last year, prosecutor Tom Little KC said he engaged in "extensive controlling, coercive and manipulative behaviour" as he "thought he was above the law". He said Cummings, from Hemel Hempstead, "behaved in a strikingly similar way" towards each of the complainants.

After becoming a special constable with Dorset Police in 2018, he joined the Met as a constable in November 2019 and moved to Aylesbury, Bucks. He always had his warrant card on him, even when off duty, and would sometimes "flash it about", Mr Little said.

Cummings employed phone applications Life 360 and Team Viewer to monitor the first victim, providing him with a "pincer-type control and knowledge" over her whereabouts. There were more than 5,000 messages exchanged between him and the first complainant within a single month, with the majority of communication being "very one-sided" from Cummings, Mr Little stated.

The women, ranging in age from 19 to 24, originated from Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Dorset, and when questioned by officers, all recounted remarkably similar accounts of harassment and coercive control. The jury was told how his abusive conduct persisted even after the relationships had concluded.

He was convicted of three charges of controlling or coercive behaviour and two charges of voyeurism against the three.

Det Insp Dale Mepstead, from the Major Crime Unit, said: "The emotional impact of Cummings' offending will live with his victims for many years, but it is through their brave testimony that he has finally been brought to justice. My team has worked tirelessly to investigate these crimes and give Cummings' victims the justice they deserve.

"I commend all three victims for their bravery and courage in coming forward and assisting us with our enquiries. I hope that the knowledge that he is facing a considerable time behind bars provides a sense of relief and I hope they can begin to move on with their lives."

Det Const Ellie Cowling, from the Sexual Offences Investigation Team, stated: "This verdict vindicates all our efforts to bring a serious and predatory offender to justice and I hope sends a message to other victims that Hertfordshire Constabulary is here to listen and support you. No-one is beyond the law and we will always take action when allegations are made."