A judge has sentenced murderer Wayne Couzens for a series of indecent exposures back in 2021 and said his ability to get away with the crimes could have emboldened him.
The Metropolitan Police’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Stuart Cundy, apologised for the failure to apprehend him before he abducted, raped, and murdered Sarah Everard in March 2021.
Couzens, 50, admitted three counts of indecent exposure—once in woodland in November 2020 and twice at the same fast-food restaurant in February 2021—all in Kent.
He was jailed at the Old Bailey on Monday for another 19 months in prison, although it will make little difference as he was given a whole life sentence for the murder of Everard and will never be released.
The two offences at the fast-food restaurant were in a part of Kent which is covered by the Metropolitan Police and Cundy apologised for Couzens not having been identified as the offender at the time.
‘We Could Have Saved Sarah’
One of the women who Couzens exposed himself to at the drive-through restaurant told the court: “I had no one contact me or ask for a statement. It was only after Sarah’s murder that I became involved. If he had been held accountable when we had reported the crime, we could have saved Sarah.”Sentencing Couzens, Mrs. Justice Juliet 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 to sexually dominate and abuse women without being stopped.”
The court heard the registration number of his Seat car—AF12 XXW—was clearly identifiable on the CCTV footage and he used his own credit card to pay for food.
Couzens, who was serving in the Metropolitan Police’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command at the time he killed Everard, is thought to have used his police warrant card to trick her into getting into the back of an unmarked car.
He then drove her, with her arms handcuffed behind her back, to Kent where he transferred her to his own car, raped her, murdered her, and set her body on fire.
If he had been identified for the indecent exposure offences, he would almost certainly have been suspended and had his warrant card revoked.
On Monday, Cundy said: “Today’s sentencing reflects the impact these awful crimes committed by Couzens has had on the women he targeted. I have read the victim impact statements and it is clear to me the hurt and trauma that he inflicted on them. It is their courage that has been crucial in bringing him to justice and I am sorry for what they have gone through.”
The Met’s response to the reports of indecent exposure at the drive-through restaurant has been investigated by the police watchdog and an officer is facing a misconduct hearing.
The first offence, in November 2020, occurred in Deal, Kent, when Couzens exposed himself to a female cyclist on a country lane.
Cyclist Feared Couzens Would Commit Worse Crimes
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “I remember vividly being concerned that somebody who could expose themselves to a stranger in such an intimidating way could go on to commit much more serious acts. This is what happened.”She told Couzens during the sentencing hearing: “Four months after you exposed yourself to me, you raped and murdered an innocent woman. There were opportunities to identify you and they were not taken.”
“The horror of what happened will remain with me for the rest of my life,” the cyclist added.
The judge said some of the indecent exposure victims suffered from a form of “survivor’s guilt.”
Cundy said, “The fact he did this whilst serving as a police officer has brought shame on all of us who swore to protect the communities we serve.”
Kent Police told The Epoch Times they would not be commenting on the Couzens sentencing.
