Sarah Everard’s killer ‘should never have been an officer’: Report demands overhaul of police vetting
Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer and there needs to be a “radical overhaul” of police recruitment to stop “another Couzens operating in plain sight”, an inquiry into the rape and murder of Sarah Everard has found.
The independent report – the first of three that will be published by Lady Elish Angiolini – delivered a damning verdict on how three separate police forces “could and should” have stopped Couzens.
The Home Office commissioned inquiry was established to understand how the off-duty Metropolitan Police officer was able to carry out his horrendous crime.
Sarah Everard was walking home from a friend’s house when Couzens snatched her in Clapham
Today’s report examined Couzens’ career and highlights how major red flags about him were “repeatedly ignored” by police vetting and investigations.
A preference for “extreme and violent pornography” and “a history of excessive spending and personal debt” were among the warning signs that were missed.
The inquiry said it has also seen evidence that Couzens allegedly committed a “very serious sexual assault against a child” before his policing career even began.
The firearms officer will never be released from prison after he used his police-issued warrant card to stage a fake arrest and snatch Sarah Everard in Clapham, south London, on 3 March 2021.
He drove the 33-year-old marketing executive to a secluded rural area near Dover in Kent, raped and strangled her with his police-issue belt before burning her body in a fridge and dumping her remains in a pond.
After the harrowing killing, it emerged there had been concerns about Couzens’ behaviour while he was a police officer, with reports he was nicknamed “the rapist”.
Read more:
How Sarah Everard’s killer was caught
Timeline: Wayne Couzen’s behaviour and crimes
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‘Couzens was never fit to be police officer’
Couzens indecently exposed himself three times before the murder, including twice at a drive-through fast food restaurant in Kent in the days before the killing.
He was not caught despite driving his own car and using his own credit card at the time.
Publishing her findings, Lady Elish said: “Failures of investigations, failures of recruitment processes, and failures of vetting policy and practice are a depressingly familiar refrain in policing.
“Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. And, without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight.”
Couzens failed at interview when he first tried to join Kent Police in 2004.
He became a volunteer constable with the county’s special constabulary in 2006, before failing to gain vetting clearance in a further application to join the regular police force in 2008.
Despite that vetting failure, he continued to work as a volunteer officer.
The next missed opportunity identified by the report was in 2011, when Couzens moved to the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC).
His application was vetted by Thames Valley Police, which recommended that Couzens should not pass vetting on the grounds of his financial situation.
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‘I’m sorry Couzens wasn’t arrested earlier’
Couzens’ financial issues
At the time he had an Individual Voluntary Arrangement, used by those in debt wishing to avoid bankruptcy, but the recommendation was not followed.
During an episode in 2013, when he was serving as an authorised firearms officer with the CNC, Couzens was “reported missing” from home. But the CNC was not informed and therefore denied an opportunity to revisit his suitability as a constable.
Couzens then moved to the Met in 2018 but again his initial vetting was “flawed”.
It failed to take into account entries linked to him on the Police National Database, which included his car being linked to an allegation of indecent exposure in 2015.
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‘We could have saved her’: Victims of Couzens’ indecent exposure shared ‘survivors guilt’ in court
The report found that Couzens had substantial unsecured debt by the time he was arrested for Ms Everard’s murder, which “undoubtedly affected his ability to serve as an authorised firearms officer”.
It also details allegations of how Couzens tried to show colleagues violent and extreme pornography. On at least two occasions, he allegedly shared sexually graphic images with young women.
But the most glaring missed opportunities to disrupt Couzens’ offending and end his police career were the failures to properly investigate allegations of indecent assault.
Sarah Everard’s disappearance sparked a nationwide appeal for information in March 2021
Kent Police made ‘grave error’, report finds
Couzens was the subject of such allegations on four separate occasions before his arrest.
In 2015, a member of the public telephoned Kent Police having just seen a man driving a car while indecently exposing himself.
Almost immediately, officers identified Couzens as the registered keeper of the car and the only male insured to drive it.
But Kent Police closed the case and took no further action, which is described as a “grave error”.
The same force responded to an allegation of indecent exposure directed at a lone female cyclist in a narrow, country lane in Deal in 2020.
Couzens was convicted of the offence in 2023, but the initial case was closed with limited investigation.
Then, just days before he abducted Sarah Everard, Couzens was reported for exposing himself at a drive-through McDonald’s restaurant in Swanley.
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Couzens was arrested on 9 March 2021, seven days after Sarah Everard went missing
But evidence such as CCTV was not collected or considered in the Met’s investigation, which “fell below the standards any victim of crime should expect”.
The inquiry says it is aware of five other alleged incidents of sexual offending involving Couzens which were never reported to the police.
In her report, Lady Elish, a former solicitor general for Scotland, lays out 16 recommendations to “bring about the necessary changes”.
They include an overhaul of police vetting and recruitment, improvements to the police response to indecent exposure and an immediate review of indecent exposure charges against serving police officers.
“I would urge all those in authority in every police force in the country to read this report and take immediate action,” she said. “Sarah’s parents and loved ones live in the perpetual grief and pain of having lost Sarah in this way.
“Her death, and the public discourse it caused, should galvanise those responsible for policing to make sure something like this can never happen again.”
Floral tributes left at Clapham Common in the wake of Sarah Everard’s death
Sarah Everard’s family respond to inquiry
Sarah Everard’s family “strongly support” the recommendations, which will “improve the safety of women and girls”.
In a statement, they said: “The inquiry has helped us, not just because of its significant findings, but because its implementation made us feel that Sarah’s life was valued and her memory honoured.
“Her death has not been dismissed as a tragic event to be acknowledged with sympathy and then forgotten – questions have been raised and action taken to investigate how this tragedy happened.”
They added: “It is obvious that Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust, in reality he was a serial sex offender.
“Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed. We believe that Sarah died because he was a police officer – she would never have got into a stranger’s car.
“It is almost three years now since Sarah died. We no longer wait for her call; we no longer expect to see her. We know she won’t be there at family gatherings.
“But the desperate longing to have her with us remains and her loss of Sarah pervades every part of our lives.”
The second part of the inquiry will take a broader look at police vetting and recruitment nationally, as well as police culture and the protection of women in public spaces.
Part three will investigate the crimes and career of former Metropolitan Police Officer David Carrick, who was jailed for at least 30 years last year after being unmasked as one of Britain’s worst ever sex offenders.
Victims of grooming gangs and modern slavery are being denied compensation by a government scheme because of their criminal records, Sky News has learned.
Analysis of official figures by Sky News’ Data & Forensics team shows more than 11,000 victims of crime over the last decade have been denied payouts because of their unspent convictions, including children.
The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority can award money to victims of violent crime, including sexual abuse.
It is the only government compensation scheme for victims – for those unable to work due to injuries, the money can be vital.
But, if an applicant has a criminal record, they are automatically refused compensation with limited exceptions.
Those with unspent convictions sometimes receive reduced sums.
Sky News has found that at least 130 children with criminal records have received reduced awards over the last 10 years, including 50 victims of sex abuse, four victims of brain damage, and one child who lost sight in an eye.
This rule on unspent convictions is based on the idea that public funds should only compensate blameless victims of crime and not, for example, a gang member who was injured in a fight.
But many argue the policy punishes those who have been forced to offend by exploiters, as well as victims of child sexual abuse.
‘I was frustrated that I wasn’t being believed’
Arthur Sherry, 43, from Perranporth in Cornwall was regularly abused by his babysitter from the age of five, including suffering rape.
In 2008, he reported it to Devon and Cornwall Police, alongside two other victims. He alleges the police did not believe him, and charges were not brought against his abuser.
Arthur Sherry, who was abused as a child, says he was denied compensation because of his criminal record
Arthur became angry and descended into addiction as a “coping mechanism”, becoming suicidal, and was repeatedly arrested for minor offences, such as making false calls to the emergency services.
“I wasn’t getting support from any agencies, and no one asked me, ‘Why is this man ringing the emergency services all the time?'”
“It was a cry for help. I was frustrated that I wasn’t being believed.”
Eventually, Arthur’s abuser, Shaun Burton, was convicted of multiple offences against children, including 11 counts of indecency with a child in relation to Mr Sherry.
But when Arthur, who suffers from complex PTSD, subsequently tried to make a claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in 2013, it was rejected because of his criminal record and because he submitted his application beyond CICA’s time limit.
He was not allowed to appeal the decision.
Arthur, aged 12 in the picture, was regularly abused by his babysitter, Shaun Burton, from the age of five
Many survivors of grooming gangs have criminal records due to being exploited and coerced.
While the government recently announced plans to disregard child prostitution convictions for these victims, many are urging authorities to go further and pardon all related offences.
Former victims’ commissioner Dame Vera Baird said: “They were not exercising their own free will and voluntarily committing crime, so there should be a discretion to look at that and say, ‘No, that wasn’t their fault’.
“They should get compensation for all the evil that was done to them by that gang.”
In 2022, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recommended that the government amend the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme so that “applicants with unspent convictions are not automatically excluded where offences are likely to be linked to the circumstances of their sexual abuse as a child”.
The government has refused to act on this recommendation.
However, Labour MP Sarah Champion has tabled an amendment to the upcoming Victims and Courts Bill, hoping to implement it, as well as widen eligibility to the scheme.
“Victims are seen as running a cannabis farm and get a conviction, before it actually turns out that they were a victim of modern slavery.
“These people, who are very clearly recognised as victims and survivors, aren’t getting the money that’s owed to them. The system is broken and the ministers need to get rid of it.”
‘I was frustrated that I wasn’t being believed,’ Arthur tells Sky News’ Alice Porter
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A government spokesperson said: “Last year, more than £164m was paid out under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme to victims, and we are going further by removing the time limit for civil personal injury claims and doubling Home Office funding for services supporting adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.
“Changes to the way we compensate victims have been considered by successive governments, and our priority must always be to treat all victims of violence equally.”
Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Tackling sexual offending is a key priority for Devon & Cornwall Police and we are working hard to bring offenders to justice.
“We take reports of all sexual offences seriously and will carry out thorough investigations into reports, looking at all viable lines of enquiry.”
Nathan Gill was at Manchester airport, about to board a flight to Russia, when accepting bribes finally caught up with him.
Gill, the former leader of Reform UK Wales and a one-time member of the European Parliament, who on Friday was jailed for 10-a-half-years, was stopped by police before boarding and had his phone seized in 2021.
While they interrogated him, his home in Anglesey was raided, with detectives discovering more electronics and cash piles of €5,000 (£4,400) and $5,000 (£3,800) respectively.
Nathan Gill being questioned. Pic: Met Police
The evidence on Gill’s phone would damn him – he was in contact with a pro-Russian politician in Ukraine, Oleg Voloshyn, and had agreed to boost pro-Russia viewpoints in exchange for money.
Voloshyn would dictate the statement, and Gill would repeat it – in some cases, almost word for word – in the media or the European Parliament.
In one instance, Gill appeared on the now-banned Ukrainian TV channel, 112 Ukraine, which was known for its pro-Russian stance.
In the interview, he was critical of the Ukrainian decision to open criminal proceedings against Viktor Medvedchuk, the owner of the television channel and a personal friend of Vladimir Putin.
Nathan Gill. Pic: Met Police
Speaking to the outlet, he said he was “very concerned” about the investigation, and wondered whether it was meant to silence “opposition politicians”.
Prosecutors said messages on Gill’s phone showed that this was at his paymaster’s instruction, with Voloshyn offering a “reward” if he would say that it was unacceptable to persecute a person for their political convictions.
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Voloshyn also offered the MEP €2,000 (£1,750) if he would express concern that Mr Medvedchuk could no longer mediate with Russia on Ukraine’s behalf, the court heard.
He added that “V” – understood to be Mr Medvedchuk – did not believe Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had “true intentions to pursue a peace agenda”, prosecutors said.
Bundles of cash were recovered from Gill’s home. Pic: Met Police
Sure enough, Gill appeared on 112 Ukraine saying it was “very sad” that Mr Medvedchuk felt he no longer had Mr Zelensky’s backing to act as a mediator with Russia, and suggested that using him “would be a sensible thing to do”.
The messages traded in innuendo, referring to the exchange of “Xmas gifts” or “postcards” instead of money.
But as the pair grew more comfortable with each other, they bargained more explicitly, with the sum of “£5k” quoted for Gill’s work.
Dominic Murphy, head of Counter Terrorism Command at the Met Police, said Gill had also offered access to other MEPs.
“This is where we get into that slightly odd situation where it feels very much like a real effort to undermine democracy here,” he said.
“This is Nathan Gill reaching out to individuals that he knows, who are Brits, who might be willing to be paid to go and make speeches.”
Commander Murphy declined to name names, but said there was an ongoing investigation and that other people had been spoken to.
None of the pro-Brexit MEPs Gill allegedly approached have been interviewed under caution.
Pic: Met Police
Police confirmed there was no evidence to suggest Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was involved.
Gill was stopped at Manchester Airport on 13 September 2021, under schedule 3 of the Counter Terrorism and Borders Security Act 2019.
He offered police no explanation for his actions and answered no comment in a March 2022 police interview.
But the 52-year-old is believed to have had financial problems.
Mr Murphy added that while Gill appeared to have pro-Russian sympathies, he was primarily motivated by money.
The ex-MEP has been jailed for 10-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to eight counts of bribery between December 2018 and July 2019.
Following an investigation by counter-terrorism police, officers said they believe Gill likely took a minimum of £40,000 in cash and was offering to introduce other British MEPs so they could be bribed.
Voloshyn was picked up by the authorities on a trip to the US in 2021, which enabled the FBI to discover his end of the conversation.
He is now believed to be in Russia, but has been sanctioned by the UK government over allegations of trying to destabilise Ukraine.
Nathan Gill pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery over pro-Russian statements. Including to media outlet 112 Ukraine. Pic: Met Police
He remains wanted in both Britain and Ukraine.
A Reform UK spokesman said: “Mr Gill’s actions were reprehensible, treasonous and unforgivable.
“We are glad that justice has been served and fully welcome the sentence Nathan Gill has received.”
Mr Farage, the Reform UK leader, said: “An investigation into Russian and Chinese influence over British politics would be welcome.”
The MP for Clacton previously described his former colleague as a “bad apple” and said he was “shocked” after Gill pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery.
He said: “Any political party can find in their midst all sorts of terrible people.
“You can never, ever guarantee 100% that everyone you meet in your life, you shake hands with in the pub, is a good person.”
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