WAYNE Couzens’ colleagues called him “The Rapist” and knew he liked violent porn – yet he was still free to trap and murder Sarah Everard. Couzens, 48, will be sentenced tomorrow after he snatched the 33-year-old off the streets as she walked home from a friend’s home in Clapham, South London. Experts have said a catalogue of […]
WAYNE Couzens’ colleagues called him “The Rapist” and knew he liked violent porn – yet he was still free to trap and murder Sarah Everard.
Couzens, 48, will be sentenced tomorrow after he snatched the 33-year-old off the streets as she walked home from a friend’s home in Clapham, South London.
Experts have said a catalogue of errors allowed vile Couzens to kidnap, rape and murder the marketing executive.
The Old Bailey heard today that the monster cop’s colleagues knew he was “attracted to violent sexual pornography” and an “incident” was reported in 2002.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has served 12 notices for allegations of misconduct to police officers investigating matters against Couzens before Sarah’s murder.
The matters relate to failed investigations into Couzens allegedly exposing himself in a McDonald’s restaurant in South London on February 28 – just three days before Sarah’s murder – and a similar indecent exposure claim in Kent in 2015.
Three officers have been served with gross misconduct notices.
There is also an ongoing investigation into police officers in multiple forces allegedly sharing inappropriate messages related to Couzens’ prosecution.
One officer has been served with a gross misconduct notice, while six other officers have been served with misconduct notices.
Couzens was disturbingly nicknamed “The Rapist” by colleagues in the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, where he worked before the Metropolitan Police, as he gave women the creeps.
Read our Wayne Couzens sentencing blog for the latest updates
Couzens — the first serving officer to be convicted of the sex murder of a stranger — also did not serve his full two years on probation in September 2018.
He was also not given enhanced vetting when he joined the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Unit in February 2020.
At the time, the Met were desperate for extra armed cops following the Paris terror attacks in 2017.
Former Met detective chief inspector Mick Neville previously told The Sun: “There is a catalogue of failures. He could have been found out as a sexual deviant.
“If those had been done properly, he would have been drummed out of the police and it is likely Sarah would still be alive.”
The chilling moment Couzens lured Sarah into his car after ‘arresting’ her for a fake Covid breach was shown to court today.
Footage shows the unwitting Sarah stood on the pavement with Couzens moments before he kidnapped her.
The Met Police officer had prowled the streets for a victim before he spotted Sarah walking back from a friend’s house in Clapham.
After stalking the marketing executive, Couzens got out of his rental car and was spotted on CCTV just a few feet from her.
The rapist cop, who was wearing his police belt containing handcuffs, can be seen producing his warrant card after claiming Sarah had breached Covid restrictions.
Just moments later, a couple driving past saw Couzens placing Sarah in handcuffs – leaving her trapped in the back of his car.
Terrified Sarah was then driven for 80 miles from London to Kent at the start of a “lengthy ordeal” that was to lead “inexorably to her rape and murder”.
Prosecutor Tom Little QC said after the footage was shown to court: “She must have realised her fate.”
Couzens then burnt her body in a plot of land he bought in 2019 that he described as “perfect for a day out”.
Police believe she was dead by 2.31am – five hours after she was snatched from the street.
Couzens, who was known to wear a police belt with handcuffs while off-duty, put her charred remains in green rubble bags and dumped them in a pond in woodland.
He then treated himself to a hot chocolate with coconut milk and bakewell tart from Costa just hours after the murder.
The next morning, Couzens returned the rental car and chucked Sarah’s phone into a river in Sandwich, Kent.
He also bought petrol which he used to burn Sarah’s body before calling his vet to make an appointment for the family dog about “possible medication for separation anxiety”.
