A detective who faked records - including witness statements by Whittington Hospital staff - thwarted three investigations into serious sex assaults, a court heard.

DC Carl Ryan, 35, allegedly failed to send evidence for analysis while working in the Met Police specialist Sapphire Unit.

It is claimed he cooked up witness statements of four staff members at the hospital, then signed them in their names.

Ryan, of Cemmaes Court Road, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, denies six counts of misconduct in a public office.

In one instance, investigating a rape at knifepoint, Ryan allegedly claimed swabs from the knife had come back negative.

In reality, it had not been sent.

Prosecutor Eloise Marshall said: “Another complainant reported that she had been sexually assaulted by a male nurse at the Whittington Hospital.

“Carl Ryan was tasked with obtaining statements from members of staff, he signed the statements himself pretending to be the witnesses.

“He didn’t give the witnesses the chance to read them themselves or check before signing them.

“There were reported inaccuracies in them.”

The victims included a woman who raped at knifepoint by a stranger, a woman who believed she was raped after her drink was spiked and a woman who reported a number of historic rapes.

Ryan also falsified records in three other cases, it is claimed.

The failure to swab the knife resulted in a review of all Ryan’s cases during his time with the Sapphire Unit between April 2010 and July 2012.

Ryan claims his workload and poor leadership from his supervisors had caused him to make mistakes and insists he did not deliberately lie.

The case continues.