A POLICEMAN who kidnapped, raped and murdered a former Durham University student will die in jail after being handed a whole life sentence this morning.
Wayne Couzens appeared at the Old Bailey in London following the death of former York woman, Sarah Everard earlier this year.
The 48-year-old had used his Metropolitan Police-issue warrant card and handcuffs to snatch Ms Everard in a fake arrest as she walked home from a friend’s house in Clapham, South London, on March 3.
Read more: Police officer who murdered Sarah Everard faces sentence
The firearms officer, who had clocked off from a 2-hour shift at the American embassy that morning, later drove a secluded area near Dover in Kent, where he parked up and raped Ms Everard.
The 33-year-old, who had moved to Brixton, South London, had been strangled by Couzens with his police belt by 2.30am the following morning.
Read more: What the judge said to the killer of former Durham student Sarah Everard as he was JAILED for life
The court heard married Couzens burned her body in a refrigerator in an area of woodland he owned in Hoads Wood, near Ashford, before dumping the remains in a nearby pond.
He was arrested at his home in Deal, Kent, after police connected him to a hire car he used to abduct Ms Everard, whose remains were found by police dogs on March 10.
Couzens was sacked from the force after he pleaded guilty in July to her kidnap, rape and murder.
'Grotesque'
Sentencing at the Old Bailey on Thursday, Lord Justice Fulford described the circumstances of the murder as “grotesque”.
He said the seriousness of the case was so “exceptionally high” that it warranted a whole life order.
He said: “The misuse of a police officer’s role such as occurred in this case in order to kidnap, rape and murder a lone victim is of equal seriousness as a murder for the purpose of advancing a political, religious ideological cause.”
He paid tribute to the dignity of Ms Everard’s family, whose statements in court revealed the human impact of Couzen’s “warped, selfish and brutal offending which was both sexual and homicidal”.
Couzens shook in the dock as he was sent down to begin his sentence.
On Wednesday, Ms Everard’s parents Jeremy and Susan and sister Katie asked Couzens to look at them, condemning him as a “monster” as he sat quaking in the dock with his head bowed.
Couzens couldn't look at the family
Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick also attended court to hear how one of her own officers had abused his position to carry out his crimes.
Prosecutor Tom Little QC suggested the case was so exceptional and unprecedented that it could warrant a whole life order, meaning Couzens would die in jail.
Couzens’ defence barrister Jim Sturman QC urged the judge to hand him a lengthy life sentence, meaning he would be eligible for parole in his 80s.
Mr Sturman said: “The defendant was invited to look at the Everards. He could not, I am told.
“He is ashamed. What he has done is terrible. He deserves a very lengthy finite term, but he did all he could after he was arrested to minimise the wicked harm that he did.”
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