What did Wayne Couzens do?
Wayne Couzens was a Metropolitan police officer who raped and murdered Sarah Everard in South London, England, on the 3rd of March 2021.
33-year-old Sarah was walking home in the evening to the Brixton Hill area from a friend’s house near Clapham Common when she was stopped by off-duty Met Police officer, Wayne Couzens. He identified himself as a police officer, handcuffed her, and placed her in his car claiming she had broken lockdown rules. He drove her all the way to Dover where he raped and strangled her. He then burnt her body and disposed of her remains in a nearby pond.
What happened during the investigation and trial?
On the 9th March 2021, Couzens was arrested at his home in Kent on suspicion of Everard’s kidnapping and murder. Everard’s remains were found in woodland near Ashford, Kent on the 10th of March. Couzens was charged with her kidnapping and murder.
Candelit vigils were held for Sarah Everard on the 13th of March on Clapham Common, and the event descended into chaos when the police arrested 4 people for breaching COVID-19 regulations. In typical police fashion, they failed to read the room in light of the circumstances, which led one of their own to kidnap Everard under the guise of her supposedly breaking COVID-19 regulations. It led to a discussion about the safety of women on the streets when they can’t even trust a police officer.
In June 2021, Couzens pleaded guilty to Everard’s kidnapping, rape and murder. He was sentenced to life in prison with a whole life order on the 30th of September 2021.
Where is Wayne Couzens now?
Wayne Couzens is serving his life sentence at HMP Frankland in Durham. He had previously been imprisoned at HMP Belmarsh in London. He is 50 years old now.
In October 2021, Couzens appealed against his sentence, but it was rejected by the Court of Appeal in July 2022. In March 2023, Couzens was sentenced to an additional 19 months in prison for flashing a cyclist while on duty and also for exposing himself in McDonald’s shortly before he murdered Sarah. He pleaded guilty to 3 indecent exposure offences in February 2023.
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