UPDATED: Police Chief “so sorry” after one of her officers pleads guilty to murdering Sarah Everard
Sarah Everard was a kind and caring person, originally from York but living in London, her life was cut short by a serving London police officer.
Wayne Couzens pleaded guilty to murdering Sarah today in a video link from prison.
Before adjourning the case, Lord Justice Fulford discussed legal precedents for whole life sentences. He said: “This has been a mammoth investigation which has produced some very significant results in terms of being able to understand what happened.”
He set a two-day sentencing starting on September 29.
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The 48-year-old firearms-trained parliamentary and diplomatic protection officer, who had clocked off from a 12-hour shift that morning, went on to rape and strangle the 33-year-old.
Read more about the hearing here
Met Police Chief sickened by what Wayne Couzens did
Commissioner Cressida Dick said: “My thoughts and those of everyone in the Met Police are with Sarah’s loved ones. It is not possible for any of us to begin to imagine what they have been going through. I am so sorry.
“I was able to speak to them earlier today and said to them how very sorry I am for their loss and their pain and their suffering.
“All of us in the Met are sickened, angered and devastated by this man’s truly dreadful crimes. Everyone in policing feels betrayed.
“Sarah was a fantastic, talented young woman with her whole life ahead of her and that has been snatched away. She was hugely loved and she will be sorely missed by so many people.
“Ever since Sarah went missing, the sole priority of my investigation team, the search team and hundreds of others in the Met was to find Sarah and bring the person who has committed this terrible crime to justice as swiftly as possible.
“We are hugely indebted to Sarah’s family, friends and so many members of the public who helped the investigation in every single way they could, not least by making appeals and giving us information.
“No words can adequately express the profound sadness, anger and regret everyone in the Met feels about what happened to Sarah.
“Today as every day our thoughts are with Sarah with her family, with her loved ones and they always will be.”
Couzens joined the Met in 2019 passing all vetting
The Met Police statement todays says:
Wayne Couzens transferred into the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC), in September 2018.
His first posting was to South Area, serving initially in a Safer Neighbourhood Team, before joining a response team covering the Bromley area in February 2019.
He then moved to the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command in February 2020 where his primary role was to patrol diplomatic premises, mainly embassies.
Following his arrest, a review confirmed he passed vetting processes. The checks confirmed there was no information available to the MPS at the time that would have changed the vetting decision.
Couzens was not subject to any misconduct proceedings during his time at the MPS.
Couzens stopped being paid as a police officer immediately following his earlier guilty pleas. This was as soon as legally possible. Internal misconduct procedures are now being progressed.
Couzens was remanded into custody. He will next appear at the Old Bailey to be sentenced on Wednesday, 29 September.
