Sarah Everard’s murderer PC Wayne Couzens is sacked by Met Police

Wayne Couzens kidnapped, raped and strangled Ms Everard
Metropolitan Police
Lily Waddell16 July 2021

Sarah Everard’s killer PC Wayne Couzens has been sacked by Met Police, the force confirmed.

The hearing, chaired by Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball, dismissed Couzens – who was attached to the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command – without notice.

Sarah Everard
PA Media

It concluded Couzens’ conduct “breached the standards of professional behaviour in respect of discreditable conduct”.

Ms Ball said: “Couzens has betrayed everything we, the police, stand for and following his guilty pleas and convictions I have dismissed him on Friday.

“All of us in the Met are horrified, sickened and angered by this man’s crimes.

“Sarah was a young woman who had her life cruelly snatched away from her. I know she is sorely missed by so many people and our thoughts remain with her loved ones.

“We are so profoundly sorry.”

The hearing was held as soon as possible after Couzens’ guilty plea and conviction on July 9.

He snatched Ms Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive, when she walked home at night in the streets of south London.

Couzens, an armed officer who guarded Royals and diplomats, used a hire car to kidnap Ms Everard and dumped her body in a bag normally used for building waste.

His wife Elena Couzens, 38, has given her first interview, revealing she has been constantly asking herself “where did I miss the signs?” and “why?”

She told Mail Online: “I keep on asking ‘why?’ What Wayne did wasn’t human behaviour.”

Mrs Couzens also revealed that she had to break the news to the couple’s two children as she vowed to “protect” their “safe triangle”.

“Wayne didn’t appear to be acting strangely,” she said.

“I didn’t notice anything was wrong. I’m working full time, most of the time I‘m dropping the children off at school and picking them up, I have a really busy lifestyle.

“I can’t comprehend it because he never once previously showed any glimpse of violence, he was never that way. I’m just as puzzled as everyone else.

“I saw nothing wrong. He had a beautiful family, a good house… what else did he need? I’m constantly asking myself ‘where I did miss the signs?’ How on earth could this have happened?”

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