This preys on my mind all the time. Prowling the streets for hours looking for his prey. 'We are so grateful to the police and all our friends for all they are doing. 'You should expect to see continued high levels of police patrols in that area as well as very significant investigative activity.'. Jeremy Everard demanded that her daughter's killer look at him as he delivered an emotional victim impact statement in court. He bought part of the wherewithal to handcuff his victim (a police standard issue handcuff key was purchased from Amazon on 10 February and was found in the front of the Seat), self-adhesive carpet protector film was purchased on 28 February and delivered on 1 March and 14 hair bands were purchased in a shop on 3 March at 8 pm. The staff at this court have ensured that everything has gone exactly to plan, and I want to acknowledge the incredible hard work and careful thought that has enabled the procedures over last two days to appear so deceptively effortless. Today, more than ever, we miss our strong, beautiful friend.'. Mr Sturman said Couzens's guilty pleas had saved the Everards 'the terror' of what the verdicts would be. Prof Wilson added: 'The detail that were released were all about behaviour and they were practiced and controlled. We hold her safe in our hearts. She was clever, but she was good at practical things too. 'Sarah's disappearance in these awful and wicked circumstances is every family's worst nightmare. It is nonsensical. Wayne Couzens, a diplomatic protection. It terrifies me that you have such disregard for a person's life. 'You used your warrant card to trick my sister into your car. The checks confirmed there was no information available to the Met at the time that would have changed the vetting decision. The Met faces grave questions about how a twisted predator with a history of flashing and addiction to violent porn remained in their midst and was even given the job of an armed officer guarding London's embassies. I have not the slightest doubt that the defendant used his position as a police officer to coerce her on a wholly false pretext into the car he had hired for this purpose. Our job is to patrol the streets and to protect people Sarah's disappearance in these awful and wicked circumstances is every family's worst nightmare. She was my precious little girl, our youngest child. The court heard he confessed to a psychiatrist that he had strangled Miss Everard with his belt, and the prosecution said her injuries were consistent with ones that would have been caused by his police belt. A whole life term has only been handed to 50-plus of the most dangerous prisoners in British history since the death penalty was abolished, including Rose West, the Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe,Dennis Nilsen, Dr Death Harold Shipman and most recently in 2021, Reading jihadi Khairi Saadallah. ET. Imagine being relieved to hear your sister was dead before she was burnt. There have been more than 20 officers here since last night and they had the sniffer dogs out.'. He gave me a few tips on what to do and we got chatting.'. The man I know, the man I spoke to, he is a decent, good man. In 2019, paedophile Richard Huckle, 33, was found stabbed to death in his VPU cell atHMP Full Sutton. 'They were witnessing the kidnapping of Sarah Everard. There were just 38 minutes between the time this "clever, articulate and caring" woman left a friend's house and the last time she was seen. (modern). 'It suggests to me this wasn't his first offence. Lowth is not much active on social media. The defendant put considerable effort into trying to avoid detection, both before and after these offences. Her life. The whole family is and all our friends. She said Wayne was at work and everything was fine. He bragged it was 'perfect for day trips' - but it's where he burned Sarah's body and dumped it in bags in shallow water; Couzens took his family on a trip to the woods where he burned Miss Everard's body - allowing his children to play near where it was dumped; Phoned vet to arrange for an appointment to see his dog and handed in his Met Police firearms licence; Lied about being forced to 'pick up a girl' by an Eastern European gang who threatened his family; Admits to killing her with his belt - with prosecution saying injuries were consistent with his police belt; Couzens repeatedly self-harmed in his cell, as police divers found Miss Everard's phone in the River Stour; Miss Everard's father demanded killer 'look me in the face', mother said she was 'haunted' by murder and sister called Couzens 'a monster'; Court also heard how Couzens was 'attracted to brutal sexual pornography'. It was returned to the rental company the following morning, having served its purpose. He joined the Metropolitan Police in September 2018 and since February 2020 he had worked for the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, as an authorised Firearms Officer. Lori Vallow Daybell Trial: Brother's Prints Found on Plastic with J.J The movements of Couzens' car were allegedly tracked by Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras. The defendant using his warrant card and handcuffs as well as his other police issue equipment to effect a false arrest. The very same day, he bought a roll of self-adhesive plastic described as "carpet protector" and booked the hire car he would use to abduct the marketing executive. Years of predatory behaviour, days of planning, hours of scouting, and mere minutes to trap his prey. 'Sarah is gone and I am broken hearted. He said he could not envisage her getting into a car with someone she did not know 'unless by force or manipulation', according to Mr Little. I'm just as puzzled as everyone else. You disposed of my sister's body like it was rubbish. Sarah's boyfriend Josh Lowth was one of many people who reported her missing back in March when she disappeared while walking home. The father-of-two, 48, was yesterday being questioned over murder, kidnap and a separate case of indecent exposure. We were not expecting a development like this and it's difficult to make sense of it. 'I can't believe this. 'It was not the first time that he had done this when he came to McDonald's, but I was the only female member of staff to report it. Britain's most hated policeman Wayne Couzens was today jailed for the rest of his life with no chance of parole after he 'misused' his 'office and authority' as a Met officer to kidnap, rape and murder his helpless victim Sarah Everardwho was 'simply walking home'. Mrs Everard said she was 'repulsed' by the thought of what Couzens did. 'Sarah died in horrendous circumstances. Her comments came as former Scotland Yard chief inspector Parm Sandhu warned how that in her experience, male officers close rank against female colleagues who raise concerns about their behaviour at work. Police officer arrested over Sarah Everard disappearance: Marketing executive's family 'shocked and upset' as policeman who was not on duty at time she vanished is held in Kent, Body found in hunt for Sarah Everard: Police find 'human remains' in Kent wood after arresting serving Met officer, 48, 'who spent day she vanished guarding London's US Embassy' on suspicion of her murder. 'So all I know it was, roundabout, we could drive there now, I could show you, roughly, I don't know, Lenham, Maidstone area at all.'. He is ashamed. Q.2 How old is Josh Lowth? The last moments of Sarah's life play on my mind constantly. This has been a case of real legal and tactical difficulty, and the cooperation of the legal profession has been second to none. When did she realise that she wasn't going to survive the night? }); And, second, notwithstanding that vital factor, the sentence that I pass on the defendant must be just, in the all-important sense that the relevant statutory provisions are to be applied, along with the applicable case law and sentencing principles. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? The degree of preparation and the length of time over which it extended is to be stressed. She had just spent 15 minutes chatting on it to boyfriend Josh Lowth, 33, after leaving a friend's home. MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. This appears to have inspired his sickening plot. Inquest in Maidstone adjourned until after trial of Wayne Couzens, accused of kidnap and murder. He was sacked by the force after entering guilty pleas. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Her death leaves a yawning chasm in our lives that cannot be filled.. It had Romanian plates on the van, white Mercedes Sprinter-type van. Mr Little QC told the court: 'He remained quiet with a lowered gaze, but answered questions politely when prompted. In due course he cleaned the exterior of his Seat motorcar. Mr Little described the moment Miss Everard's body was found partially submerged in a pond inside builders bags. According to recentfootage, Wayne used his police powers to handcuff Sarah with unsuspecting witnesses believing she was being arrested for breaking the law. An investigation found the killer was lying, with no vehicles like the one he described as belonging to the fake gangsters being seen on CCTV. Couzens told a psychiatrist he strangled Miss Everard with his police belt, which tallied with the conclusions of a post-mortem examination which found she died from compression of the neck. I would stress, therefore, that I have adopted the approach that a judge should only pass a whole life term in a case such as the present if he or she is confronted with a new category of exceptionally serious case that plainly calls to be treated in this way and the decision is, therefore, not a borderline one. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){
"I feel angry about it as well, but my main anger is that it happened to her.". It was a posting at the American Embassy. From her friend's house, Miss Everard is believed to have walked across Clapham Common. Scotland Yard insisted yesterday that the suspect, was not on duty at the time of Sarah's disappearance. Couzens cut a pathetic figure as he refused to raise his head in the dock as Sarah Everard's family told him of their torment, rage and being haunted by her final hours. Distressing details of the timeline suggest Miss Everard could have been alive for more than four hours in the back of Couzens' car. However, his Facebook profile picture was recently updated to a poster of Find Sarah Everard, as he kept on consistently posting about her disappearance, with earnest appeals to everyone to help find her. Mr Sturman emphasises the ease with which other accused might have advanced wholly false allegations as part of a defence, some of which might have involved slurs on the character and reputation of the deceased. 'But I completely understand that despite this, women in London and the wider public - particularly those in the area where Sarah went missing - will be worried and may well be feeling scared. To discharge my function faithfully, it is vital, therefore, that I focus solely on the factors that are properly relevant to determining the correct sentence, and nothing else. Honest. Read about our approach to external linking. This is when the good and the great of . She wasn't a vapid, nice person. Couzens was only identified as a suspect after Miss Everard's murder. The news today that it was a Metropolitan Police officer arrested on suspicion of Sarah's murder has sent waves of shock and anger through the public and through the whole of the Met. Mr Little and Mr Sturman particularly have my thanks, along with their juniors. Miss Everard was last seen on CCTV at around 9.30pm last Wednesday. A former boyfriend of Sarah has described her in court as intelligent, savvy and streetwise. March 5: Sarah's family share missing posters of her after they become increasingly concerned that she is still not home, spreading the word online with links to the Missing People charity. Wayne Couzens, 48, used his Metropolitan Police-issue warrant card and handcuffs to snatch Ms Everard as she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham, south London, on the evening of March 3. Couzens, afirearms officer, had clocked off from a 12-hour shift at the American embassy that morning but in the time leading up to the kidnap had cruised the capital looking for a victim. They said in a statement afterwards: 'We are very pleased that Wayne Couzens has received a full life sentence and will spend the rest of his life in jail. Lowth is a 33-year-old marketing director from Brixton who was in a relationship with 33-year-old 'missing' Everard. I was shocked to see the police. 'We will continue to work with all speed on this investigation but the fact that the arrested man is a serving Metropolitan Police officer is both shocking and deeply disturbing. Martin Robinson Chief Reporter For Mailonline. She was saving to buy a house and looking forward to marriage and children. Contributions . 'Nothing I say today is at all intended to minimise the horror of what the defendant did that night and after. Couzens, 48, from Deal, also in Kent, will stand trial for her kidnap and murder at the end of October. Prisoners serving life sentences will never be considered for release, unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it. ', When pressed as to where Sarah Everard was, he said repeatedly that he did not know where she was and that 'if I could do something to get her back right this minute, I would', but at the same time he said 'I'll do it again tomorrow if it meant saving my family these guys meant business.'. 'It's hard to guess what she will decide for herself, she's got a job, children are at school there.'. A source last night claimed detectives believe Couzens may have spotted Miss Everard on the street in Clapham and abducted her, using his Metropolitan Police warrant card to persuade her to walk towards his vehicle. 'I speak on behalf of all my colleagues in the Met when I say we are utterly appalled at this dreadful news. 'If Sarah had died because of an illness, she would have been cared for. Along with the other statements which Mr Little summarised in court, they starkly and movingly revealed the true human consequences of this warped, selfish and brutal offending, which was both sexual and homicidal. Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick also attended court to hear how one of her own officers had abused his position and used his warrant card to kidnap Ms Everard 'by fraud' before detaining her 'by force'. I am interested in hearing from people who may have been in the area from 9.30pm onward. As the depraved killer watched in the Old Bailey with his head bowed, Miss Everard's family heard in horrific detail how Miss Everard spent her final hours before the serving Metropolitan Police officer raped and murdered her, and then burned her body in a pre-meditated attack that was weeks in the planning. He deserves a very lengthy finite term but he did all he could after he was arrested to minimise the wicked harm that he did.'. She lost her life because Wayne Couzens wanted to satisfy his perverted desires. But it has been claimed today thatCouzens,an armed diplomatic protection officer, worked a 2pm to 8pmshift guarding the USembassy close to Battersea Power station - less than three miles from where Miss Everard was last seen. Killer Cop believes he should NOT die behind bars, his QC says 'You have irretrievably damaged the lives of Sarah Everard's family and friends - you have eroded the confidence that the public are entitled to have in the police forces of England and Wales. Couzens first joined Scotland Yard from Kent Police after working at a family garage repairs business in Dover and a spell in the Territorial Army. Also yesterday, former DCI Simon Harding, who was a senior investigator on Miss Everard's case, said that 'police officers do not view Wayne Couzens as a police officer' and that he 'should never have been near a uniform'. and
She added: 'I think this is a watershed moment for policing. He treated my daughter as if she was nothing and disposed of her as if she was rubbish.'. At that point I had no option to try and find somebody. But the 48-year-old officer's faade hid the actions of a sexual predator who had been planning the crime - although not yet selecting his victim - in chilling detail. I find it hard to believe she is not just living her own life and sick at the thought that her last moments on this earth alive were so horrific. He hired a car on 28 February which he drove to London on 3 March. He said: 'Several dogs picked up some scent and drew the attention of their handlers to a small pond. A police watchdog inspector today admitted she would have 'concerns and reservations' about approaching a lone male police officer at night with a problem, following the sentencing of Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens. Third, even though not relied on by the prosecution or the defence what is the significance, if any, of the account the defendant gave to the psychiatrist, Dr Latham? 'He must serve quite a severe punishment for what he's done.'. I thought I was in a good place after returning from injury however, this is not the case and I feel more of a liability due to the current situation I find myself in. She added: 'When Sarah's burnt remains were found, we spent two terrible days waiting for tests to show how she had died, fearing she had been set alight before she was dead - the thought was appalling. The devout Christian said she reported the alleged incident to police. Josh Lowth: Sarah Everard's boyfriend was on call with her before her It is torture to think of it. We are aware of no other concerns raised by his colleagues or anyone regarding his behaviour.'. At the police station, Couzens declined to provide samples of his DNA, saying it was on advice from his solicitor. But have you put your hands around your neck and tried pushing hard? View the profiles of people named Joshua Lowth. A shirtless Couzens was led from the house in handcuffs with one witness saying: 'He looked very calm - just walked out'. CCTV checks rapidly demonstrated he had lied throughout his account to the police. Police who arrested Couzens are understood to have taken a memory card as part of their investigation. Cameras further along the same street failed to capture her. Other notorious criminals serving whole life orders include Gloucester serial killer Rose West, who is responsible for the deaths of ten women - many of them tortured and murdered with her husband Fred West, now dead, as an accomplice. Ms Everard grew up in York, with an older brother and sister. Couzens says: 'OK, there was a white Sprinter van. On March 6Couzens ordered a tarpaulin and a bungee cargo net on Amazon, which were shipped to him on March 7. Our job is to patrol the streets and to protect people. By then both he and a brother had become policemen. Join Facebook to connect with Josh Lowth and others you may know. We really, really want to see her back.'. Don't believe him. Evidence suggested Miss Everard's body was inside before being burned. }); In a shocking turn of events in the Sarah Everard mysterious disappearance case, human remains have been confirmed from woodland near Ashford, Kent. Couzens may see out his sentence in a Vulnerable Prisoner Unit (VPU) for his own protection, as he is likely to be considered a possible target for other inmates given the brutality of his crimes of kidnap, rape and murder. As one of the dogs moved away, the bag appeared to come loose from the floor of the pond, floating upwards and opening up 'One of the officers reported that he could see what appeared to be a body in the bag.'. Describing the officer as 'very friendly' and part of a 'perfect family', she said: 'The whole situation is horrifying. ', 'Couzens was not subject to any misconduct proceedings during his time at the Met.'. We miss her all the time. He then banged his head against a wall while waiting for an ambulance. He wasn't at the time of the homicide, quite obviously. Her mother Susan told the Old Bailey: 'Sarah died in horrendous circumstances. Couzens was accused of indecent exposure in a branch of fast food restaurant McDonald's in Swanley, Kent, three days before Miss Everard died, but was not arrested or taken off duty while the matter was investigated. Wait WaitDon't Tell Me! - NPR They had been desperate for news as the Met continued to maintain publicly there was no evidence she had come to harm. The sexual predator, who had clocked off from a 12-hour shift that morning, went on to rape and strangle the 33-year-old marketing executive before setting fire to her body. The last moments of her life not with loved ones, but frightened and fighting for her life. Couzens was arrested late on March 9 - six days after Miss Everardvanished 'into thin air' - whenmore than 20 officers raided his home on the Kent coast. All rights reserved. 'I feel like I live in a make-believe world. Rose Woollard has been a close friend of Ms Everard since university, and was one of the first to become alarmed. Earlier in the day, Met Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave said investigators hoped Miss Everard was still alive following the constable's arrest on suspicion of kidnap on Tuesday night. Earlier Couzens' QC told the Old Bailey earlier that Couzens shouldn't die behind bars because there have been 'worse crimes' than the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard. The Metropolitan Police today announced they will not deploy plain clothes officers on their own, following the sentencing of Wayne Couzens. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { Footage taken from a passing dashcam shows the 33-year-old stood on a pavement on Poynders Road in Clapham as Couzens, who was wearing handcuffs on his police belt, speaks to her. The Metropolitan Police added the Directorate of Professional Standards is aware of the arrests. I go through the terrible sequence of events. The first question is relatively easy to answer. But that did not completely describe what happened to Miss Everard, the court heard. She was so shocked when he was arrested. When did she realise that she wasn't going to survive the night? Meanwhile, Everard's family is in a heartbroken and distraught situation, including her boyfriend Josh Lowth, who was reportedly on the phone with her minutes before her alleged abduction. 'For convenience, they would often take home the kit needed. Please share this post to help us to find her. 'He was placed under constant watch until he first appeared in the Magistrates' court the following morning.'. When she was taken, Ms Everard was less than a mile from her flat in Brixton. 'I'm constantly replaying in my head - did you rape her, then kill her? It is this vital factor which in my view makes the seriousness of this case exceptionally high. He then calls in sick on March 8, when he was due to return to work. The feeling of loss is so great it is visceral. Mrs Couzens proudly posted photographs on her public Facebook page of the family's holiday to Ukraine in 2017 and another in 2019 to Dubai. It is clear from the language of the schedule that this is not a closed list of cases. 'If that is, if necessary, by allowing phone calls to be made to our control room, so that the officer can show the warrant card and the person in the control room can say 'yes, Steve House is a police officer and his warrant number - which will be on the warrant card - is as follows'. It was previously revealed Miss Everardspent a quarter of an hour on the phone making plans to see her boyfriend Josh Lowth the following day, before her mobile was either switched off or ran out of battery. Sarah wanted to get married and have children, now all that has gone. },false) 'Due to coronavirus they didn't come this year. "There is nothing anyone can say that will make things better for her family and loved ones. She was a good person. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was 'sickened' by the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah, adding: 'No woman should have to fear harassment or violence'; Wayne Couzens should be considered over unsolved murders and crimes, expert criminologists urged today as they said 'everything suggested he had done this before'; Harriet Harman today demanded under-fire Met chief Cressida Dick step down, as the force faced questions over how killer cop Couzens - nicknamed 'The Rapist' - was able to 'slip through the net' after a raft of missed opportunities; Priti says Scotland Yard has 'serious questions to answer' over the Everard murder with the force scrapping single-person patrols for plain-clothes officers after Couzens used it to kidnap Sarah; MailOnline can reveal that Couzens' wife Olena is believed to have watched the Old Bailey hearing remotely as her husband was jailed for the rest of his life. He has never . 'He did so using the two bags that he had just purchased from B&Q.'. Her father Jeremy, 67, a professor of electronics at York University, and mother Sue, 64, a charity worker, are understood to have travelled to London from their home in York. Imagine that even having to be a thought. Couzens appeared to shake in the dock as Mr Everard went on: 'You murdered our daughter and forever broke the hearts of her mother, father, brother, sister, family and her friends. 'You stopped to get a Lucozade and water at a petrol station. They will never be considered for release, unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it. After leaving home, he picked up a Vauxhall Crossland hire car that he had booked on February 28. Ahead of the arrests on Tuesday, Ms Goodwin, who is leading the investigation, said there was no information to suggest Ms Everard had 'come to any harm'. The Met is also facing questions about how its vetting process failed to pick up concerns around Couzens before he was made an armed officer in its elite Diplomatic Protection Group, which involved him guarding embassies, VIPs and members of the Royal Family. I know Londoners will want to know that it is thankfully incredibly rare for a woman to be abducted from our streets. 2023 BBC. She was a beautiful dancer. 'Most of his colleagues had the impression that he was a ''family man'.'. Describing the circumstances of Miss Everard's abduction as 'awful and wicked', Dame Cressida said the arrest had 'sent waves of shock and anger' through the public and her force. We can never get Sarah back. It is understood the police breakthrough came after officers examined CCTV footage. We were looking forward to having grandchildren. 'All of us in the CPS have been deeply affected by what happened to Sarah. Sarah Everard's father asks killer to face him as family share impact She spent her last hours on this earth with the very worst of humanity. A responsible job. 'This was meant to be the start of his period of five rest days, from Wednesday Mar 3 at 7am to Mar 8 at 7am, when he was due to return to Lillie Road for a training day.'. eventAction: 'click_ads' Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. I yearn for her. ', A cousin, Stefan Boyce, 29, said he was shocked to hear of his arrest, saying: 'It's quite frightening. 'We are immensely grateful to the police and legal team who worked on Sarah's case. First, was the defendant suffering from a mild depressive disorder at the time of these offences? ', On Twitter, @andygibsonTV posted: 'I think your criminal record should be wiped clean for doing that fantastic public service.'. We only ever get locals round here. We will also give judges the discretion, in exceptional circumstances, to impose a whole life order on offenders aged 18 or over but under 21. The uproar over Ms Everard's death, and what she has come to represent, led one friend to say: "I would like to just say who she was to me, as a person. Detectives arrived at his house in Deal, Kent, at 5.45pm on Tuesday, March 9, six days after he snatched his victim. But experts say the confidence in which he carried out the abduction shows he had done it before. wearing a green rain jacket, navy blue trousers with a white diamond pattern and turquoise and orange trainers. Later that morning (March 4), Couzens threw Miss Everard's mobile phone into a channel at Sandwich, only for it to be retrieved by a diver as part of a search of the waterway. Sarah Everard's parents Jeremy and Susan who bravely faced their daughter's killer and called him a 'monster' and 'the very worst of humanity', sighed with relief, clasped hands and hugged police officers after Couzens shuffled out of the dock to be taken down to the cells. He said: 'He was invited to look at the Everards. The prosecutor said he must have taken her mobile phone from her and removed the sim card, which he tried to destroy. It is understood detectives began to suspect father-of-two Couzens after a vehicle linked to him, reportedly a hire car, was allegedly seen on another motorist's dashcam near to where Miss Everard vanished on March 3.
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