Mark Tyrrell 57

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Former Metropolitan Police Officer Mark Tyrrell Convicted of Rape and Sexual Assaults

Former PC Mark Tyrrell, 57, of Meltham, West Yorkshire, was convicted on 27 October 2026 at Southwark Crown Court of one count of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of perverting the course of justice for attempting to delete messages he had sent the victim. He was acquitted of a further count of rape, four counts of assault by penetration and eight counts of sexual assault. He had already pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office and a separate count of perverting the course of justice for persuading the woman to lie to police about why he was in her bedroom. He was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 16 December 2026.

Tyrrell, who served in the Metropolitan Police’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command—the same unit as convicted rapists Wayne Couzens and David Carrick—met the woman (who cannot be identified for legal reasons) during a welfare check. He later contacted her privately without a legitimate policing purpose and pursued a sexual relationship with her over several years while she was in a vulnerable position.

Jurors heard that he had sex with her after she repeatedly said no, then asked: “Do you realise that what I’ve just done, that was rape?” Prosecutor Catherine Farrelly KC said that when the woman resisted his advances “he simply chose to take what he wanted.” Concerns first arose when officers attending her home on an unrelated matter found him hiding beside her bed. Recovered messages included an apology for “being a sex offender” and “for ruining your life by being in it.”

In evidence, Tyrrell claimed the sex had always been consensual and that “there was never any forcefulness to it.” He resigned from the Met in September 2023 after his arrest and suspension. An accelerated misconduct hearing later found he would have been dismissed had he remained in post, and he was added to the police barred list.

Chief Superintendent Sara Leach 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’s case highlights the serious risk posed when a serving officer abuses their position of authority to target a vulnerable person.