Mark Tyrrell, 57, was convicted of one count of rape, three of sexual assault and one of perverting the course of justice following a trial at Southwark Crown Court. The court heard that Tyrrell raped the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, after she repeatedly said no. He told her, “I don’t believe what’s just happened” and “do you realise that what I’ve just done, that was rape?”
Prosecutor Catherine Farrelly KC alleged that when the woman resisted Tyrrell’s sexual advances, “he simply chose to take what he wanted”. Concerns were raised after officers attended her address for a separate matter and found Tyrrell hiding by the side of her bed.
Tyrrell was found guilty of perverting the course of justice by attempting to delete messages with the woman. In one message, he said he was “sorry” for “being a sex offender” and “for ruining your life by being in it”. He previously admitted misconduct in a public office and pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice by persuading the woman to lie to police about why he was in her bedroom.
Jurors found him not guilty on 13 other charges, including one count of rape. In his evidence, Tyrrell claimed the sexual intercourse was consensual and “there was never any forcefulness to it”.
Ch Supt Sara Leach, commander within specialist operations, said: “This kind of conduct is abhorrent but even more so when it is carried out by a serving officer, who had gained the trust of the victim. We remain appalled that someone like this was serving within our organisation and it is right he has been brought to justice.”
Tyrrell had been attached to the parliamentary and diplomatic protection command, the same unit where convicted rapists Wayne Couzens and David Carrick worked. Couzens was given a whole-life order for the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021. Carrick is serving 37 life sentences for attacks on more than a dozen women.
The defendant, of Meltham, West Yorkshire, will be sentenced on 16 December.