Adam Provan: ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ Met Police officer who raped girl, 16, and colleague jailed for 16 years

A “Jekyll and Hyde” former Met Police officer who raped a 16-year-old girl and a female colleague has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.

In June Adam Provan, 44, was found guilty of two counts of rape against the teenager - who he met on a blind date in 2010 after lying about his age and identity. He was also convicted of raping a fellow police officer six times between 2003 and 2005, which was said to be part of a “campaign of controlling, abusive behaviour and sexual violence”.

All of Provan’s despicable offences were committed during his 16-year career as a police constable, while he served in the Met’s East Area Command Unit. Sentencing, Judge Noel Lucas KC said Provan had displayed a “cold-blooded entitlement to sex” - adding that the “persistence and seriousness” of his offending was clear.

Judge Lucas also said he was “troubled” by the way the Met had handled complaints against Provan, saying that if initial complaints made in 2005 had been taken “seriously”, the 16-year-old girl may have been spared. Instead, he argued, the Met had been “more concerned with looking after one of their own.”

Provan, from Newmarket, Suffolk, had initially been convicted of raping the 16-year-old victim after a retrial in 2018, which led to him being sacked from the Met the following year. However, after serving just three years and three months in prison, he successfully appealed against his conviction and his case was sent to trial for a third time.

At that trial in May, six new counts of rape were added to the charges list. During the two-day sentencing hearing, Provan’s wider history of predatory and dangerous behaviour was laid bare at Wood Green Crown Court. Prosecutor Anthony Metzer KC said Provan had used his position as a police officer to gain young women’s trust and had “aspects of a Jekyll and Hyde character”.

He added that the ex-PC had “an extended history of allegations” of sexual misconduct dating back to the 1990s, including “stalkerish behaviour”. Mr Metzer also pointed out that in 2005, another female police officer had reported receiving “nuisance” messages from Provan, but the complaint was dealt with “informally” and not taken further.

Meanwhile, Judge Lucas highlighted the fact that Provan had 751 female contacts in his mobile phone - which indicated a “fascination” with young women which “bordered on the obsessive”.

Speaking in court from behind a screen, the teenage victim, who is now in her 20s, said: “The day I met Adam Provan changed my life forever. No prison sentence will take away the harm Adam Provan has caused me. No amount of justice will make me forget the date from hell.

“Even 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.” She added that giving evidence over several years at three trials had been “traumatic”, and that she felt “attacked” by the system.

The other victim, who is still a serving police officer, said she “lived in constant fear” that Provan would kill her. She said she believed he saw himself as “untouchable”, and felt the police had failed to protect her by not dealing with him properly.

“I feel guilty for people after me who came in contact with Adam, and if they suffered abuse,” she added. “This has preyed on my mind.”

Judge Lucas paid tribute to both victims - saying they had been “extremely courageous” in reading out their impact statements in court.

In June, during the trial, Wood Green Crown Court heard how Provan had asked the 16-year-old girl to meet him for a blind date after lying about his age and disguising his identity. He told her they would go to the cinema, but instead took her to a woodland area and sexually assaulted her.

“I didn’t want him to touch me,” the victim told the court. “He pulled out a condom and asked if we could ‘do it’. I said no. I said it clearly, I didn’t want to have sex with him.” She then described pulling away from Provan and repeatedly saying ‘no’, but found she was ultimately unable to fight him off.

Provan then raped the girl for a second time on their “hellish” date after he drove her to McDonald’s for milkshakes. The sexual predator, who had pretended to be 22, claimed he was shocked at how young the girl was - but this contradicted evidence that prosecutors presented, including a picture the teenager had sent Provan of her celebrating the end of her GCSEs.

The court also heard of the abuse Provan inflicted upon the female police officer. Several attacks were detailed - including one in which Provan covered her face during sex until she could not breathe. In another incident, Provan told the woman he “hoped she would get raped” - before going on to carry out such an assault.

She revealed she had reported Provan to Met Police management, but found her complaint was never investigated. She later found the courage to file an official report after hearing the teenager’s victim impact statement during Provan’s first sentencing in 2018.