Police officers’ failure to catch Wayne Couzens for flashing women before he murdered Sarah Everard made him feel “invincible”, a judge has said.
Ms Justice May handed the former Metropolitan Police officer a new 19-month sentence for three incidents of indecent exposure in the months leading up to the kidnapping.
Delivering her sentence at the Old Bailey, the judge said Couzens “could easily have been traced” after McDonald’s staff gave police his car registration and credit card details on 28 February 2021.
“Nothing was done at the time and Sarah Everard was taken three days later,” Ms Justice May said.
“The fact that no police came to find him or his black car, to question him about these incidents, can only have served to confirm and strengthen in the defendant's mind a dangerous belief in his invincibility, in his power sexually to dominate and abuse women without being stopped.”
Couzens attempted to get the flashing charges against him thrown out, launching a failed “abuse of process” case arguing that he could not receive a fair trial.
But last month the 50-year-old admitted two incidents of indecent exposure at the McDonald’s, as well as a previous incident in Kent in November 2020, while three other alleged incidents were left to lie on file by the prosecution.
Delivering an emotional statement to the sentencing hearing on Monday, as Couzens watched via a video link from prison, one of his victims said: “If he had been held accountable when we had reported the crime, we could have saved Sarah.” She said that after McDonald’s staff reported Couzens to the police three days before the kidnapping, she was not contacted or asked for a statement.
A female cyclist who was targeted by Couzens months before said that when she reported his crime to police, it was not “taken as seriously as I felt that it should have been”.
“The horror of what happened will remain with me for the rest of my life,” the woman added.
Another victim, who also worked at the McDonald’s, described feeling sick after seeing he had murdered Ms Everard and felt “survivor’s guilt”, adding: “It could have been me.”
Ms Justice May said Couzens’ “selfish, sexually aggressive acts” had damaged his victims’ sentence of freedom and security.
“All offences are very seriously aggravated by the fact that the defendant was a serving police officer at the time, being a constable in the Metropolitan Police and a member of the Diplomatic Protection Group,” she added. “On the day he exposed himself to victim A the defendant was actually on duty, working from home.”
The judge sentenced Couzens to 19 months imprisonment for targeting a female cyclist in Kent in November 2020, and six months for each of the incidents he admitted at the McDonald’s the following February.
She said that Couzens’ new sentence “will not affect” the whole life term he is already serving for the kidnap, rape and murder of Ms Everard.
The head of Scotland Yard’s Directorate of Professional Standards said an officer who was charged with investigating the McDonald’s incidents will face a misconduct hearing, and the events surrounding Ms Everard’s death will be further examined by an inquest.
Deputy assistant Stuart Cundy said: “Like so many, I wish he had been arrested for these offences before he went on to kidnap, rape and murder Sarah Everard and I am sorry that he wasn’t.
“The fact he did this whilst serving as a police officer has brought shame on all us who swore to protect the communities we serve.
“My thoughts today are with all those targeted by Couzens and Ms Everard’s family.”
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found that the Metropolitan Police constable who handled the McDonald’s report allegedly “breached police standards … for alleged failings over the way inquiries were progressed”, but resigned last year and can face no sanction.
The watchdog found that the investigating officer did not visit the McDonald’s until 3 March 2021 – the day after Couzens abducted Ms Everard.
A Kent Police officer will also face a misconduct hearing over their handling of separate flashing allegations against Couzens in 2015.
The force received a report that a man driving a car indecently exposed himself to a pedestrian in Dover in June that year but while the vehicle was identified as belonging to Couzens, Kent Police did not identify that he was a police officer and there was no arrest or interview.
A sergeant is to face a misconduct hearing for “alleged failures in following all reasonable lines of enquiry before the case was closed”.
