Met Police officer found guilty of raping woman while on holiday in Antigua

A serving Metropolitan Police officer faces a lengthy jail sentence in the Caribbean after he was found guilty of raping a woman.

Constable Lee Martin-Cramp used his job to dupe his victim into trusting him before carrying out the "most deplorable" attack while on holiday on Antigua in May 2015.

The Pc, 26, was convicted by a jury at Antigua's High Court on Thursday after being extradited to the island in what is reported to be a legal first.

Martin-Cramp is expected to be sentenced on July 11.

The officer, who was attached to the Met's Merton borough, is suspended from duties and will be subject to expedited misconduct proceedings, the force said.

Commander Catherine Roper, from the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards, said Martin-Cramp had been found guilty of an "extremely serious" offence.

"The evidence given during the trial included distressing details of how the victim trusted him because he was a police officer, and how he took advantage of that trust in the most deplorable way," she said.

"The officer's actions fell well below that of any decent person, but particularly a person whose job is to protect people and keep them safe.

"He will now be subject to expedited misconduct proceedings."

Martin-Cramp reportedly met the victim, an American student, on dating app Tinder. The court heard they went to her apartment, where he allegedly put something in her wine that made her pass out, the Daily Mail reported.

Martin-Cramp was first arrested over the rape in June 2016 by the Met's Extradition Unit.

Antiguan authorities had lodged an extradition request which was heard at Westminster Magistrates' Court and granted in June 2018.

In September, he was extradited to face court proceedings on the island.