Police officer Wayne Couzens pleads guilty to rape and kidnap of Sarah Everard

vt-author-image

By VT

Article saved!Article saved!

Police officer Wayne Couzen has pled guilty to raping and kidnapping Sarah Everard.

As per BBC News, PC Wayne Couzens, of Deal, appeared at the Old Bailey via video link to plead guilty to the murder and rape of the 33-year-old in March.

Everard was last seen walking home in Clapham, south London, on March 3, and her body was discovered a week in a woodland located later near Ashford in Kent.

While PC Couzens accepted responsibility for Everard's death, he did not enter a plea for the charge of murder.

Everard, who worked as a marketing executive, was walking to her home in Brixton on the night she disappeared. She was later reported missing on March 4 by her boyfriend after she failed to complete the journey that should have taken around 50 minutes.

wp-image-1263112054 size-full
Credit: Alamy / Shakeyjon

PC Couzens was dressed in khaki trousers and a grey sweatshirt when he appeared via video link at the Old Bailey from Belmarsh Jail.

He pleaded guilty to kidnapping Everard "unlawfully and by force or fraud" on March 3 and then admitted to the second charge of rape between March 2 and March 10.

The Met Police officer answered the two charges put to him in court in the presence of four members of Everard's family, saying simply: "Yes, sir."

BBC News reports that while the former police officer has accepted responsibility for killing the 33-year-old, medical reports are still being awaited.

PC Couzens is set to have his next plea hearing on July 9.

wp-image-1263112053
Credit: Alamy / Dimple Patel

News of the plea comes after it was revealed earlier this year that Everard's body had to be identified by dental records after she was found in the secluded woodland.

Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave confirmed that the body belonged to Everard. outside New Scotland Yard, per the BBC, he said: "The body has now been recovered and formal identification procedure has now been undertaken. I can now confirm that it is the body of Sarah."

Ephgrave went on to say that his "thoughts and prayers, and those of the entire organization" were with Everard's family "at this awful time".

He added: "Specialist officers remain in constant contact with Sarah's family, and will continue to support them throughout the investigation and beyond."

Featured image credit: Alamy / Anna Watson