Scotland Yard today posted a statement saying it ‘remains deeply disgusted and ashamed’ that a Met Police officer was responsible for the murder of Sarah Everard, on the first anniversary of her horrific rape and killing.
Wayne Couzens was handed a whole-life jail term last year after using Covid powers to conduct a fake arrest of the 33-year-old marketing executive as she walked home from a friend’s house, before committing crimes so horrific they shocked the nation and undermined confidence in the police.
The 49-year-old, who used his warrant card and handcuffs to carry out the crime, had been planning for at least a month before abducting Ms Everard in Clapham, south London, on the evening of March 3, 2021.
Passing sentence at the Old Bailey in September, Lord Justice Fulford said the case in which a serving officer abused his position was so exceptional that it warranted a whole life order, meaning Couzens will never be freed.
It was the first time the sentence had been imposed for a single murder of an adult not committed in the course of a terror attack.
Today, exactly 12 months on from when Ms Everard first went missing, the Met Police has issued a statement.
It said: ‘Our thoughts are with Sarah Everard’s family and loved ones. One year on we remain deeply disgusted and shamed that a Met police officer was responsible for Sarah’s appalling murder.’
Ms Everard’s family also released a statement today to mark the anniversary of the tragedy.
They said: ‘It is a year since Sarah died and we remember her today, as every day, with all our love. Our lives have changed forever and we live with the sadness of our loss. Sarah was wonderful and we miss her all the time.
‘Over the past year we have been overwhelmed with the kindness shown to us, not just by family and friends, but by the wider public.
‘We are immensely grateful to everyone for their support, it has meant such a lot to us and has comforted us through this terrible time.
‘Sadly, Sarah is not the only woman to have lost her life recently in violent circumstances and we would like to extend our deepest sympathy to other families who are also grieving.’
Scotland Yard today posted a statement saying it ‘remains deeply disgusted and ashamed’ that a Met Police officer was responsible for the murder of Sarah Everard, on the first anniversary of her horrific rape and killing
Wayne Couzens was handed a whole-life jail term last year after using Covid powers to conduct a fake arrest of the 33-year-old marketing executive as she walked home from a friend’s house
Couzens is one of over 60 criminals serving whole-life sentences. They are reserved for the most serious crimes such as serial killings and politically motivated murders.
A slew of claims have come to light about Couzens since he was jailed for his life with no chance of parole after he kidnapped, raped and murdered Miss Everard.
Couzens is known to have committed an indecent exposure, driving round naked from the waist down in his car, when he served with them in 2015.
He has also been identified as being responsible for carrying out the same offence at a McDonald’s restaurant days before he targeted Miss Everard.
On March 3, he staged a fake Covid arrest, handcuffed Miss Everard and put her in his car before driving 80 miles to Kent where he raped and murdered her. Days later, he burned her body and left it in woods near land he owned.
The Met faced a wave of criticism over missed opportunities to expose Couzens as a sexual predator before he went on to murder Ms Everard.
It emerged he 48-year-old was known as ‘the rapist’ by staff at the Civil Nuclear Constabulary because he made female colleagues feel so uncomfortable.
He had been accused of indecent exposure in Kent in 2015 and in London in the days before Ms Everard’s murder, but was allowed to continue working.
Priti Patel announced there will be an independent inquiry into the ‘systematic failures’ that allowed Couzens to serve as a Met police officer. The Home Secretary said that ‘recent tragic events have exposed unimaginable failures in policing’.
She said that the public ‘have a right to know’ why Couzens was able to be employed by the Metropolitan Police.
The inquiry will look at Couzens’ career in the Metropolitan Police and determine if red flags were missed to identify him as a threat.
The inquiry will be split into two parts, with the first examining Couzens’ previous behaviour.
It will seek to establish a ‘definitive account’ of his conduct leading up to his conviction, as well ‘any opportunities missed’.
The second part of the probe will look at ‘specific issues raised by the first part of the inquiry’.
That could include examining wider issues across policing, including vetting practices, discipline and workplace behaviour.
