Court hears account of Sarah Everard murder

Sarah Everard was handcuffed by Wayne Couzens as he pretended to arrest her for breaching coronavirus regulations.

The former Met Police officer abducted Ms Everard in March as she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham.

After flashing his warrant card, Couzens restrained Ms Everard, put her in his hire car and drove out of London.

His sentencing hearing at the Old Bailey was told the ordeal Ms Everard suffered could be summarised as "deception, kidnap, rape, strangulation, fire".

The 33-year-old Durham University graduate was described by a former long-term boyfriend as "extremely intelligent, savvy and streetwise" and "not a gullible person", said the prosecutor.

He could not envisage her getting into a car with someone she did not know "unless by force or manipulation", the court heard.

A week after she disappeared, Ms Everard's body was found in a woodland stream in Ashford, Kent, metres from land owned by Couzens.

Prosecutor Tom Little QC said: "The defendant's plot of land is very close to, and in the same woods, where he was to burn Sarah Everard's body after he had murdered her.

"He then moved her body in green bags that he had purchased specifically for that task to a pond deeper into the woods, but which was only about 130 metres from his plot."

In July, Couzens pleaded guilty to the kidnap, rape and murder of Ms Everard by video link from Belmarsh prison.

Today (Wednesday, September 29), he came face to face with her family when he was brought into the dock of the Old Bailey for the start of his sentencing.

Three members of her family will read statements this afternoon about how her murder has affected them.

Opening the facts, Mr Little said the disappearance of Ms Everard was one of the most widely publicised missing person investigations the country has ever seen.

Mr Little said: "Whilst it is impossible to summarise what the defendant did to Sarah Everard in just five words, if it had to be done then it would be more appropriate to do so as deception, kidnap, rape, strangulation, fire."

Couzens, who worked on Covid patrols in January, would have known what terminology to use from enforcing regulations with those who breached them, the court heard.

He was said to be wearing his police belt with handcuffs when he kidnapped Ms Everard.

Scotland Yard released a statement ahead of the start of the two-day sentencing.

It read: "We are sickened, angered and devastated by this man's crimes which betray everything we stand for.

"Our thoughts are with Sarah's family and her many friends. It is not possible for us to imagine what they are going through.

"We recognise his actions raise many questions and concerns but we will not be commenting further until the hearing is complete."

Lord Jusice Fulford will sentence Couzens on Thursday.

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