Wayne Couzens sentenced to whole life in prison for kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard

Former police officer Wayne Couzens has been sentenced to whole life in prison for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard.

During a two day sentencing trial which started on Wednesday at the Old Bailey, the court was told how Couzens “falsely arrested” and handcuffed Ms Everard before kidnapping her.

The 48-year-old used his police issued warrant card and knowledge of Covid laws to kidnap the 33-year-old marketing executive on Poynders Road, Clapham .

The fake arrest took less than five minutes.

The court was told that Couzens, who was a serving police officer at the time, spent hours driving around parts of South and West London before kidnapping Ms Everard.

Prosecutor Tom Little said: “The circular route taken by the defendant as well as the areas in which he was driving are consistent with the defendant hunting for a lone young female to kidnap and rape.”

A couple who witnessed the false arrest while driving past said that Ms Everard was “compliant, with her head down and did not appear to be arguing”.

Mr Little said that Ms Everard was a victim of “deception, kidnap, rape, strangulation, fire”.

Details also emerged about how Couzens spent weeks preparing for the attack, including hiring a car three days before the abduction and ordering handcuffs on Amazon on February 10.

While passing the sentence, Lord Justice Fulford described the crime as a “grotesquely executed series of offences”.

He said: “Sarah Everard was a wholly blameless victim of a grotesquely executed series of offences which cumulated in her death. She was simply walking home mid-evening.

“She was an intelligent, resourceful, talented and much loved young women still in the early years of her life.

“I have not the slightest doubt that the defendant used his position as a police officer to coerce her in pretence to lure her into his car which he had hired for this purpose.

“It is most likely he said that she had breached the Covid restriction that were being enforced. Any explanation other than coercion fails to take into account her character.”

He added: “The family’s statement starkly and movingly revealed the true human consequences of this warped, selfish and brutal offending.”

Members of Ms Everard’s family took the stand on Wednesday to read victim impact statements.

Ms Everard’s mother, Susan Everard, told the court her daughter was caring, funny, a “beautiful dancer” and a “wonderful daughter.”

She said: “She spent her last hours on this earth with the very worst of humanity. She lost her life because Wayne Couzens wanted to satisfy his perverted desires. 

“It is a ridiculous reason, It is nonsensical. How could he value a human life so cheaply? I cannot comprehend it. I am incandescent with rage at the thought of it.

“He treated my daughter as if she was nothing and disposed of her as if she was rubbish.”

Ms Everard’s sister, Katie Everard, also addressed the court, describing being told what happened to Sarah as a “sick, waking nightmare”.

She said the family were not able to see Sarah’s body as it was so badly burned.

She added: “We had to go to the flat and pack up Sarah’s whole life – washing left hanging up, half sewn outfits, deliveries waiting to be returned, packages waiting at the door ready to be opened.

“All signs of a life waiting to be lived – chores to be done, ready for her to return and continue when she got home.

“But she never got home because a predator – you – was on the loose. Prowling the streets for hours looking for his prey.”

Ms Everard, went missing on Wednesday, March 3 while walking through Clapham Common to her home in Brixton.

Her body was found burned in a pond in a woodland in Kent on March 10.

Pictured top: Sarah Everard