Wayne Couzens has entered a guilty plea to Sarah Everard's murder

[RickiTarr]

Thank goodness for that.

At least it spares the family a full trial.

I hope the sentence is a whole life tariff.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57774597

The story about the Eastern European gang is bizarre.

I hope we get some kind of enquiry into how a serving police officer manages to escalate his offending while employed by the Met, why the indecent exposure at the drive through wasn’t enough to catch him and stop him and so on.

Such a waste of a talented young woman’s life. I think answers need to be given now.

I can’t get the hang of share tokens but The Times has more details;

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-wayne-couzens-lied-to-cover-plan-to-kill-in-days-before-abduction-of-sarah-everard-tw8rg2b5x

With these cases I often wonder if this is actually the first one.

Yes I saw on the BBC news, the whole thing is bizarre, he exposed himself in a takeaway a couple of days before
I'm pleased her loved ones don't have to go through a trial.

Do you have a 'share' token for The Times article?

I’m trying to work out how to do it @AuntieStella, and failing so far. I will have another go.

I too am pleased her family and friends will be spared a trial. Evil shit should never see the light of day.

@DinosaurDiana

With these cases I often wonder if this is actually the first one.

I’m thinking it can’t be? Horrible though that is to say. It was so fluently done. Where it not for the bus and traffic cameras, they would not have caught him. It’s chilling.

I think because I’m newly subscribed the share tokens haven’t popped up yet. If anyone has share tokens and wouldn’t mind doing it, that would be great. Thanks.

Exactly, somebody doesn't just go from an ordinary family man, working as, a police officer, to commit this horrendous crime.

@x2boys

Exactly, somebody doesn't just go from an ordinary family man, working as, a police officer, to commit this horrendous crime.

Quite, if it was just the offending behaviour we’ve been told about that means he went from “law abiding citizen > indecent exposure > really daring brutal kidnap and murder” in a week or so.

It’s just not plausible.

@DinosaurDiana

With these cases I often wonder if this is actually the first one.

Well it wasnt because we know he indecently exposed himself days prior to abducting Sarah Everard.

He booked the hire car 3 days before the kidnapping, according to the official statement. He told an unbelievable story of handing her over to a criminal gang, but apart from that he has refused to comment, so there is no info on why he did it (or mention of other offending)

www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/wayne-couzens-admits-murder-sarah-everard

Something that's been on my mind about this case. Many other attacks on women were reported in the months before Sarah's abduction in the same area, on the same road even. Has that pattern of attacks now decreased? As @DinosaurDiana said, you have to wonder if this is the first time he's done something like this.

According to the Guardian a police inspectorate investigation has already cleared the police of wrongdoing. This doesn’t really make sense. Any of it;

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jul/09/wayne-couzens-pleads-guilty-murdering-sarah-everard

I expect there is far more than we are aware of yet

[quote AuntieStella]He booked the hire car 3 days before the kidnapping, according to the official statement. He told an unbelievable story of handing her over to a criminal gang, but apart from that he has refused to comment, so there is no info on why he did it (or mention of other offending)

www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/wayne-couzens-admits-murder-sarah-everard[/quote]
Yes that gang story is utterly bizarre. How could have thought that would fly? But then he didn’t do the normal thing and hang out for Manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

I wonder whether that reflects his stance pre and post thorough legal advice?

@x2boys

I expect there is far more than we are aware of yet

This is the thing. On the one hand, the lack of trial spares Sarah’s friends and family a lot of pain. On the other, I hope it won’t be used to draw a veil over things that maybe the public should be told.

I'm so glad the family don't have to face the agony of a trial.

The media is saying sentencing will be over two days in September - I assume that means a lot more detail will come out, and there will be mitigation pleas? Not sure how it works but two days to sentence seems a long time to me - does anyone else know?

Hopefully not, when is due to be sentenced? Maybe more will come out then

Cross Post, I have no idea how sentencing works, but yes two days does seem excessive

@snowballer

I'm so glad the family don't have to face the agony of a trial.

The media is saying sentencing will be over two days in September - I assume that means a lot more detail will come out, and there will be mitigation pleas? Not sure how it works but two days to sentence seems a long time to me - does anyone else know?

Some kind of MH mitigation still to come? Yes maybe.

I do feel like it’s all being hushed up rather quickly. Maybe that’s unfair, but the police inspectorate reaching a conclusion before all the facts are public hits a wrong note for me.

Anyway, I hope her loved ones are bearing up as well as they can.

@ScouseQueen

Something that's been on my mind about this case. Many other attacks on women were reported in the months before Sarah's abduction in the same area, on the same road even. Has that pattern of attacks now decreased? As *@DinosaurDiana* said, you have to wonder if this is the first time he's done something like this.

They have looked/are looking into this - the Times article says

After Couzens’s identity was uncovered the Met carried out a vast scoping inquiry to determine whether he had been responsible for any other unsolved crimes or internal misconduct. The force has not disclosed its outcomes.

I don't know if they haven't disclosed the outcomes because the inquiry is still ongoing. Surely they will have to disclose them at some time.

What happened to his partner/girlfriend, wasn’t she arrested too? Maybe some details will come from her.
Sarah’s poor poor family, I can’t even imagine what they are going through.