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Wayne Couzens

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

Wayne Couzens
BornWayne Couzens
(1972-12-20)20 December 1972
Dover, Kent, England
🏳️ NationalityBritish
💼 Occupation
Known forMurder of Sarah Everard
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment
Criminal statusIncarcerated

Wayne Couzens (born 20 December 1972) is a former police officer in the Metropolitan Police Service who in March 2021 kidnapped, raped, and murdered 33-year-old Sarah Everard. Couzens pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a whole life order.

The case attracted widespread media attention and led to significant public outrage, particularly concerning issues of violence against women and the conduct of the police.

Life

Couzens was born on 20 December 1972 in Dover, Kent.[1][2] He was educated at Castlemount School, Dover.[3] After taking GCSEs,[4]:18 he worked as a mechanic in his family's garage.[5] Couzens enlisted as a private with the Territorial Army in 2002,[4]:21 and over the following four years he unsuccessfully applied to become a police officer on three occasions. He was employed as a special constable with Kent Police in 2006,[4]:24 and was discharged from the Territorial Army the following year for failing to fulfil training obligations.[4]:24

In late 2010, Couzens was vetted for recruitment to the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC). In early 2011 he resigned from Kent Police, and took up the role of authorised firearms officer with the CNC. He transferred to the Metropolitan Police (Met) in September 2018,[4]:33 working as a police constable and firearms officer.[6][7] In February 2020[8] Couzens was assigned to the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP) branch,[9] the division responsible for uniformed protection of government and diplomatic premises.[10] Couzens had not undergone enhanced vetting as part of his recruitment nor had he gone through the mandatory two-year probation period with the Met before joining the PaDP.[6][11]

Murder of Sarah Everard

Main article: Murder of Sarah Everard

On the evening of 3 March 2021, 33-year-old Sarah Everard was walking home to Brixton Hill when she was stopped and apprehended by Couzens,[12] supposedly for breaching COVID-19 guidelines.[13][14][15] Couzens drove her to Kent, where he raped and strangled her before disposing of her body in woodland.[16][17]

Couzens was arrested on 9 March on suspicion of kidnapping.[18] Everard's body was discovered the following day, and Couzens was arrested on suspicion of murder.[19]

On 8 June, Couzens pleaded guilty to kidnap and rape, and admitted responsibility for Everard's death.[20] On 9 July, he pleaded guilty to murder.[21] He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order on 30 September 2021.[12] The judge, Lord Justice Fulford, described the case as "devastating, tragic, and wholly brutal".[22]

Public reaction

Further information: Angiolini Inquiry

The murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer led to significant public protests and demands for change. It sparked discussions about women's safety, trust in the police, and the need for systemic changes in how such cases are handled.[23][24] The case also led to an independent inquiry into how Couzens was able to remain a serving officer despite previous allegations of indecent exposure.[25]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Wayne Couzens sentenced to whole life term for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard". www.cps.gov.uk. Crown Prosecution Service. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  2. ↑ Skopeliti, Clea; Mathers, Matt (30 September 2021). "Wayne Couzens profile: The police officer who murdered Sarah Everard". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2022. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  3. ↑ Hill, Phil (10 July 2021). "Somerset man Warwick Lewis on his schoolfriend, killer Wayne Couzens". Chard and Ilminster News.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "The Angiolini Inquiry – Part 1 Report" (PDF). The Angiolini Inquiry. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  5. ↑ Skopeliti, Clea; Mathers, Matt (30 September 2021). "Wayne Couzens profile: The police officer who murdered Sarah Everard". The Independent. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Blackall, Molly (30 September 2021). "All the warning signs that were missed before Wayne Couzens brutally murdered Sarah Everard". i. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  7. ↑ Dodd, Vikram (12 March 2021). "Sarah Everard: Met police officer charged with kidnap and murder". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  8. ↑ Lord Justice Fulford (30 September 2021). "Wayne Couzens: Sentencing Remarks". Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  9. ↑ Evans, Martin; Roberts, Lizzie; Bird, Steve; Horton, Helena (10 March 2021). "Scotland Yard officer arrested on suspicion of murder in Sarah Everard case". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  10. ↑ Morrison, Sean (11 March 2021). "Officer in custody as human remains found in hunt for Sarah Everard". Evening Standard. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  11. ↑ Keay, Lara (1 October 2021). "Sarah Everard murder: The five questions the police still need to answer about Wayne Couzens". Sky News. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Sarah Everard murder: Wayne Couzens given whole-life sentence". BBC News. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  13. ↑ Dearden, Lizzie (9 July 2021). "From CCTV to a hire car: How the Sarah Everard murder was solved". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2021. Unknown parameter |url-status= ignored (help)
  14. ↑ Sentencing Remarks for Wayne Couzens (PDF). UK Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Search this book on
  15. ↑ "Sarah Everard murder: 'Our lives will never be the same again'". BBC News. 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  16. ↑ Siddique, Haroon (29 September 2021). "Wayne Couzens timeline: footage shows movements before murdering Sarah Everard". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  17. ↑ Dodd, Vikram; Siddique, Haroon (29 September 2021). "Wayne Couzens 'used police ID and handcuffs to kidnap Sarah Everard'". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  18. ↑ "Sarah Everard killing: Reaction as Wayne Couzens given whole-life term for killing Sarah Everard". Sky News. 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021. 14:08 Details of Wayne Couzens' arrest revealed in court: Police attended his house at about 5.45 pm on 9 March but did not approach the property. Shortly after 7 pm, Couzens had re-set his mobile phone to factory settings. Two detectives then visited the house at 7.45 pm and Couzens was arrested on suspicion of Ms Everard's kidnap, the court hears.
  19. ↑ Dodd, Vikram (10 March 2021). "Human remains found in the search for missing London woman Sarah Everard". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  20. ↑ Dodd, Vikram (8 June 2021). "PC Wayne Couzens pleads guilty to kidnap and rape of Sarah Everard". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  21. ↑ Dodd, Vikram (9 July 2021). "Wayne Couzens pleads guilty to murdering Sarah Everard". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  22. ↑ "Sarah Everard murder: Wayne Couzens could face whole-life sentence". BBC News. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  23. ↑ Blackall, Molly (15 March 2021). "'I've been quiet too long': reflections on the death of Sarah Everard". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  24. ↑ "Sarah Everard: It will take years to repair trust - London mayor". BBC News. 3 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  25. ↑ Hill, Amelia (3 March 2022). "Sarah Everard's family pay tribute on first anniversary of her murder". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 March 2022.


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