Wayne Couzens Pleads Guilty To Rape And Kidnap Of Sarah Everard
PC Wayne Couzens has pleaded guilty to the rape and kidnap of 33-year-old Sarah Everard.
Everard was reported missing on March 3 after failing to return home after visiting a friend. She was last seen in Clapham, London, and was reported missing by her boyfriend the following day.
Couzens was arrested on suspicion of kidnap and murder on March 9, for which he was later charged after Sarah’s body was discovered in woodland in Kent 30 miles from the police officer’s home. Sarah was formally identified through her dental records.
The 48-year-old, who worked on the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command unit, was not on duty at the time of Sarah’s disappearance.
Couzens first appeared in court on Saturday, March 13, where he has been remanded in custody since. He then appeared at Crown Court on Tuesday, March 16, via video link from Belmarsh prison.
Today, June 8, the 48-year-old pleaded guilty to Sarah Everard’s kidnap and rape.
A trial was set for October, and Couzens wasn’t due to make any pleas in the case until July. However, appearing via video link from HMP Belmarsh, he chose to admit to two of the three charges he’s facing.
The Court heard that Couzens has also accepted responsibility for the 33-year-old’s death, but was not asked to enter a plea to a charge of murder, The Telegraph reports.
While Couzens is also charged with murder, this charge was not put to him today as medical reports concerning his state of mind at the time of the killing are currently pending. According to Couzens’s barrister, Jim Sturman QC, the former officer is still being medically accessed.
The weekend after Sarah’s body was discovered, a vigil took place in London to play tribute to Sarah and other women who have died as a result of violence.
Despite the vigil being cancelled hours before it was set to take place in Clapham Common, people still attended, which led to several people being arrested. British police received backlash for its aggressive handling of the situation compared to a football parade that took place a few days prior in Glasgow, Scotland.
10 months agoFeatured Image Credit: PA/Shutterstock
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Topics: News, Crime, Murder, Sarah Everard, Trial, Wayne Couzens, World News
