Sarah Everard murder: Wayne Couzens handed whole-life sentence
A Met Police officer who murdered Sarah Everard after kidnapping her under the guise of an arrest has been sentenced to a whole-life prison term.
Wayne Couzens abducted the 33-year-old as she walked home from a friend’s house in south London on 3 March.
Ahead of sentencing Couzens, 48, the judge said the case was “devastating, tragic and wholly brutal”.
Ms Everard’s family said they were relieved by the fact Couzens would die in jail.
Lord Justice Fulford described the circumstances of the kidnap, rape and murder as “grotesque”, telling Couzens he had “betrayed” his family. He described Ms Everard as “an intelligent, resourceful, talented and much-loved young woman, still in the early years of her life”.
The judge told Couzens: “Notwithstanding your guilty pleas, therefore, I have seen no evidence of genuine contrition on your part, as opposed to evident self-pity and attempts by you to avoid or minimise the proper consequences of what you have done.”
He said the seriousness of the case was so “exceptionally high” that it warranted a whole-life order.
“The misuse of a police officer’s role such as occurred in this case in order to kidnap, rape and murder a lone victim is of equal seriousness as a murder for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause,” he told the Old Bailey. “All of these situations attack different aspects of the fundamental underpinnings of our democratic way of life.”
Reacting to the sentencing, Ms Everard’s family said they were pleased with the full-life term, adding that although “nothing can make things better, nothing can bring Sarah back… knowing he will be imprisoned forever brings some relief.
“Sarah lost her life needlessly and cruelly and all the years of life she had yet to enjoy were stolen from her. Wayne Couzens held a position of trust as a police officer and we are outraged and sickened that he abused this trust in order to lure Sarah to her death. The world is a safer place with him imprisoned.
“It is almost seven months since Sarah died and the pain of losing her is overwhelming. We miss her all the time. We hold her safe in our hearts.”
As Wayne Couzens was told he would spend the rest of his life in prison, he kept his head down as he has throughout his time in the dock. He was shaking as he was sentenced.
The Everard family looked on. The Metropolitan Police commissioner was in court to hear the sentence. Her officer a convicted murderer and rapist.
Mr Justice Fulford told Couzens his offences were “warped, selfish and brutal”. The judge said Sarah “was simply walking home”.
After Couzens was sentenced, police officers who investigated the murder hugged the Everard family. But as her parents and sister said yesterday, all they want is Sarah back and no punishment will ever compare to the pain and torture Couzens had inflicted on them.
Source: (BBC)