The parents of Sarah Everard have spoken of their torment as former Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens faces sentencing for her kidnap, rape and murder. The 48-year-old used his warrant card and handcuffs to stage a false arrest before strangling her with his police belt and burning her body.
Lord Justice Fulford will decide on Thursday the minimum length of Couzens' life sentence at the Old Bailey. The prosecution argued the crimes were so serious, involving abuse of his position, that they might merit a whole-life tariff, meaning he would die in prison.
Sarah's mother, Susan, told the court she remained 'tormented' by what her 33-year-old daughter endured. Her father, Jeremy, and sister, Katie, asked Couzens to face them as they addressed him directly, but he only lifted his head slightly.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called for a victims' law and a review of how Couzens remained in the force despite concerns about his conduct. 'It looks as though there were some telltale signs... that should have been looked into properly, and they were not,' he said.
Couzens, who admitted murder, kidnapped Everard on 3 March as she walked home in south London during lockdown. He drove her 80 miles to Kent, where he raped and killed her. The court heard he may have used Covid regulations as a pretext to stop her.
The case has sparked outrage over women's safety and trust in policing. A witness saw Couzens handcuffing Everard, assuming it was an undercover arrest. The defence will argue against a whole-life order, but the judge's decision is expected later today.
