Police “could have saved Sarah Everard” if they acted more quickly on reports of Wayne Couzens flashing McDonald’s staff days before, one of his victims has said.
The serving Metropolitan Police officer targeted women at a drive-thru restaurant near his home, where he would order cheeseburgers and then expose himself at the serving window.
Couzens had been caught on CCTV driving to the restaurant using his own car, which was registered in his name, and used his own credit card to purchase food.
The incidents were reported to the Metropolitan Police on 28 February 2021, but Couzens was not arrested and just three days later, he kidnapped, raped and murdered Ms Everard.
One of the victims told the Old Bailey of her shock when she woke up to a message from her manager linking to an article showing Couzens’ face.
“If he had been held accountable when we had reported the crime, we could have saved Sarah,” she said.
“I had no one contact me or ask for a statement [after the flashing incident]. It was only after Sarah’s murder that I became involved.”
The woman, who broke down crying while delivering her statement, said that by the time Couzens exposed himself to her on 27 February 2021, colleagues told her he had done the same “several times before” at the same McDonald’s.
“I became aware following this of the seriousness of what could have happened to me before while I had been walking late at night,” she said.
“I could not believe that I had met someone who would go on to be a killer … I was scared. I felt like that could have been me. I still think about this now.”
