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Rapist Met Police officer hoarded details of more than 700 women, court told

Adam Provan was found guilty of raping a fellow police officer six times and twice raping a teenager whom he met on a blind date

Emily Pennink
Monday 21 August 2023 12:41 EDT
Related video: Casey report: Met Police institutionally racist, misogynist, and homophobic

A ā€œJekyll and Hydeā€ former Metropolitan Police officer who raped a 16-year-old girl and a female colleague hoarded the details of more than 700 women on his phone, a court has heard.

In June Adam Provan, 44, of Newmarket, Suffolk, was found guilty of raping a fellow police officer six times between 2003 and 2005, and twice raping a teenager whom he met on a blind date after lying about his age in 2010.

All the offences were committed while he was a serving officer in the Metā€™s East Area Command Unit.

Provan had initially been convicted of raping the 16-year-old victim after a retrial in 2018 and jailed for nine years. He was sacked from the Met the following year.

He served three years and three months in prison before he successfully appealed against his conviction and his case was sent for a third trial.

No prison sentence will take away the harm Adam Provan has caused me

Adam Provan's victim

At that trial in May, six new counts of rape were added, relating to earlier offences against the serving Metropolitan Police officer.

On Monday, Provanā€™s wider history of predatory behaviour was laid bare at Wood Green Crown Court on the first day of his two-day sentencing.

Prosecutor Anthony Metzer KC said Provan had abused his position as an officer to gain young womenā€™s trust and had ā€œaspects of a Jekyll and Hyde characterā€.

He said Provan had ā€œan extended history of allegationsā€ of sexual misconduct dating back to the 1990s, including ā€œstalkerish behaviourā€ and culminating in the rapes of the 16-year-old girl.

The defendant had 751 female contacts in his mobile phone, indicating a ā€œfascination bordering on the obsessiveā€ with young women, Judge Noel Lucas KC said.

Mr Metzer said the details on Provanā€™s phone ā€œstrongly suggestedā€ there was sexual activity with the women, many of whom were young.

In 2005 another female police officer had reported receiving ā€œnuisanceā€ messages from Provan, but the complaint was dealt with ā€œinformallyā€ and not taken further.

Provan, who watched teenage pornography online, had also allegedly contacted another 16-year-old girl after she gave her details as a witness.

Julia Smart KC, defending, said all the allegations were disputed by Provan.

Speaking in court from behind a screen, the teenage victim, who is now in her 20s, said: ā€œThe day I met Adam Provan changed my life forever.

ā€œNo prison sentence will take away the harm Adam Provan has caused me. No amount of justice will make me forget the date from hell.

ā€œEven though I tried my best to block it out I will never forget how scared I was when the assault took place, and 13 years later reliving my worst nightmare.ā€

She said it was ā€œsickeningā€ to be told Provan really was a police officer as he had claimed when they first met.

Giving evidence over three trials was ā€œtraumaticā€ and she felt ā€œpersonally attackedā€, she said.

The other victim, who is still a serving officer, said she ā€œlived in constant fearā€ Provan would kill her and felt he saw himself as ā€œuntouchableā€.

The officer told the court she felt the police had not dealt with Provan and failed to protect her.

She added: ā€œI feel guilty for people after me who came in contact with Adam, and if they suffered abuse, this has preyed on my mind.ā€

Judge Lucas hailed the victimsā€™ bravery as he thanked them for giving their statements in court

The sentencing hearing is expected to conclude on Tuesday.

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