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A whole life order for Wayne Couzens

103 replies

ElleStartingOver · 30/09/2021 12:21

I cried as the verdict came in.

May he suffer every single day.

OP posts:
Crankyoldboiler · 01/10/2021 08:27

I wonder how long before he decides to "identify as a woman" so he can serve his time in a women's prison?

youvemademyshitlist · 01/10/2021 08:38

I'm glad he's got a whole life tariff but I wouldn't be surprised if he appeals to get that reduced.

BasiliskStare · 01/10/2021 08:45

@youvemademyshitlist - I did ask Ds who is studying law - it is a whole life order - which is not to say he will not appeal , of course. But a whole life order is worse than a whole life tariff. - Do not mean to be pedantic ( although I just have been ) But I agree with you - would not surprise me one jot if he appeals.

IndecentCakes · 01/10/2021 08:58

I daresay it was emboldened by the pathetic sentences regularly handed down to abusers of women and children.

ChocolateCoveredRaisins · 01/10/2021 09:02

If he appeals and wins I think the Home Secretary can change it back can't they?

CasaBonita · 01/10/2021 09:10

He should not be given the opportunity to kill himself. He needs to be monitored very closely. He needs to have a long, lonely, miserable 40+ years in a bare jail cell.

youvemademyshitlist · 01/10/2021 09:11

[quote BasiliskStare]@youvemademyshitlist - I did ask Ds who is studying law - it is a whole life order - which is not to say he will not appeal , of course. But a whole life order is worse than a whole life tariff. - Do not mean to be pedantic ( although I just have been ) But I agree with you - would not surprise me one jot if he appeals.[/quote]
Thanks. I did mean whole life order - didn't get a lot of sleep last night!

Given that it's rarely used and the for the serial killers etc. I expect he'll argue that it's unfairly harsh (conveniently forgetting the absolute betrayal of using his police powers to detain her).
Even after everything, I get the feeling that he thinks "it's not that bad"
Not that I think Sarah was his first victim. I feel like previous victims were probably women who wouldn't be missed - homeless, runaways etc.
I think lockdown meant that these women weren't as easily found so he went for the first lone woman he found - Sarah.

VladmirsPoutine · 01/10/2021 09:17

What this has really revealed is how the majority of the public think of the police as some sort of benign force. I can't believe people are actually suggesting making phone calls to a trusted friend or calling the officer's base as a first-line form of self-defence against a rogue officer.

A lot of police recommendations were made following the killing of Stephen Lawrence, a lot of recommendations will be made now. I think finally something will actually change now.

BasiliskStare · 01/10/2021 09:24

@youvemademyshitlist Flowers

OrangeJuiceAndNoodles · 01/10/2021 09:25

It's well known now that flashing can lead to more serious crimes. Who let him get away with that?

I saw that this morning and it made me furious. These offences must be taken seriously because of the relationship between them and rape/murder.

Not that I think Sarah was his first victim. I feel like previous victims were probably women who wouldn't be missed - homeless, runaways etc.

I hadn't even thought of that but that makes sense. Terrible.

OrangeJuiceAndNoodles · 01/10/2021 09:27

I feel really sorry for his partner too. Imagine if that was your husband or boyfriend.

Poor woman.

Maskless · 01/10/2021 09:35

Just to clear up a small misunderstanding...

It's clear from several comments here that people don't realise that WC was never a bobby on the beat. References are made to his possible interactions with the public and having colleagues at the station which are misleading people to believe that he was a regular bobby who attended parade with daily colleagues and sat in the canteen indulging in sexist banter etc.

This is entirely wrong.

He joined the police later in life than most and was never a "bobby on the beat" type of uniformed policeman that people think of when they hear he was a police officer. He has only ever worked in specialised units and when he committed this horrific crime was in a bodyguard type of role for politicians and diplomats - hence he could be required to carry a gun.

Lastly, people are assuming that his copper mates at the station and in the canteen jokingly called him 'the rapist'. This never happened. He didn't work at a police station, for starters, but also it was his mates at his previous workplace, a garage, who gave him that nickname because female customers seemed uncomfortable in his presence. The police were unaware of this nickname. It only came out after his name was published and his former workmates recognised his name and face in the papers.

None of this changes much but I do think it's important to get the facts right.

Some people are trying to paint a false picture of a police station where everyone knew he was a potential rapist and joked about it, when in fact his superiors should have sacked him for it. This is wholly incorrect.

I don't see how the Met can be held responsible for the completely unpredictable, unforeseeable freak actions of this man. Especially considering that his wife saw him up close every single day, had known him intimately for years, chose to marry and have more than one child with him, and was still living with him when he committed the murder ---- and even she had no idea, no clue, that he would ever do such a thing.

And BTW she must be going through absolute hell right now.

Ditto his parents, siblings, friends and neighbours, who must all be horrified that someone they thought was a normal guy turned out to be this psychopathic murderer. They are all probably torturing themselves daily with questions like "why didn't I notice something?" and running over everything he ever said and did to try to find some clue in retrospect of what he was capable of.

VladmirsPoutine · 01/10/2021 09:44

The Met have largely had free rein to do whatever they like with absolutely next to zero consequences and that needs to change now. They (the police) are trying to offer suggestions that prevent another Sarah Everard hoping no-one will notice that what they need to be doing is preventing another Wayne Couzens. I hope the momentum doesn't lapse and we go back to business as usual.

saleorbouy · 01/10/2021 09:47

40 years looking over his shoulder knowing that most of his compatriots will love the kudos of bashing a copper! He truly deserves a good hiding.
Perhaps he will now get to really understand and feel what fear is like and how that poor lady felt in her last moments on earth.

BasiliskStare · 01/10/2021 09:47

@OrangeJuiceAndNoodles - I do agree with you - it has ( not as bad as having your daughter murdered ) but it has ruined his family's life as well - just terribly sad . What a dreadful man & what devastation has he caused .

Marmelace · 01/10/2021 09:48

Thought is, is that Sarah may not have been his first victim. May he die screaming.

gardeninggirl68 · 01/10/2021 09:50

@Maskless that's a great post! The voice of reason

I served in the Met for years and there's a mix of characters just like in any walk of life. Wayne Couzens would be just another colleague. Wouldn't stand out in any way from what I've read.

The Met would have no idea what's going on in his head, and in the absence of formal complaints and grievances from the public or colleagues, how was anyone to know what was to come?

Now if he had a record of inappropriate behaviour then yes, blame his employer for letting him continue in a position of trust but he had nothing on record

Tellmesomethinggirl · 01/10/2021 10:16

The Met would have no idea what's going on in his head, and in the absence of formal complaints and grievances from the public or colleagues, how was anyone to know what was to come?

Don't have time to check now but I am sure I read in the papers this morning that three female police colleagues did have outstanding complaints against him.

alrightfella · 01/10/2021 10:18

I wonder if his parents are still alive, he is 48 I believe so you would assume they may be.

One mans actions affected so many. Poor Sarah, her family and friends. His family and his wife & kids.

I can't fathom how anyone can be so depraved.
I wonder if he had any friends, if he was close to family. How can no one have realised what sort of person he was.

HateJudgmentalPeople · 01/10/2021 10:19

@OrangeJuiceAndNoodles

I just don't understand why somebody with a nice life, a good job... why he'd throw it all away for something so dispicable. Surely he knew this would be the result. Was it worth it?

These men, their backgrounds and private habits need to be studied intensely. Why does it keep happening? I'll never understand but there must be certain drivers that these monsters have in common.

My heart is breaking for Sarah's family.

His perverted desires and impulses clearly outweighed his family, career and life, I can’t imagine being that sick!
HateJudgmentalPeople · 01/10/2021 10:21

@Toastytoads

And so he should never be released. But why the hell is Colin Pitchfork the double child rapist and murderer waking the streets?
Simply because most rapists and killers don’t get whole life tarrifs and they bloody well should, if Couzens hadn’t have been in the police then I bet he would have only got 20-25 years.

I also suspect he joined the police solely to abuse his position, and this was his downfall, no fucking luck.

Tellmesomethinggirl · 01/10/2021 10:25

@Tellmesomethinggirl

The Met would have no idea what's going on in his head, and in the absence of formal complaints and grievances from the public or colleagues, how was anyone to know what was to come?

Don't have time to check now but I am sure I read in the papers this morning that three female police colleagues did have outstanding complaints against him.

I am going to correct my own post here. Colleagues tell me that three female police officers have come forward with complaints against him since his arrest which is significant. Interesting that the culture is such that they didn't feel able to make formal complaints before though.
MummyGummy · 01/10/2021 10:40

The top story on the BBC news app today is ‘Challenge Plain Clothes Officers, Met Police says’

Once again putting all responsibility onto the victim. Even if Sarah had challenged him, he likely would have been able to easily physically over power her and force her into his car anyway.

How about the Met take responsibility for failing to properly vet someone linked to indecent exposure or for enabling a culture where women don’t feel able to report colleagues who harass them.

And, perhaps if his previous incidents of indecent exposure had been taken seriously by the police he wouldn’t have been able to escalate to this horrific crime.

HateJudgmentalPeople · 01/10/2021 10:41

Is it just me or does his wife look a little like Sarah Everard?Shock

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/wayne-couzens-wife-elena-logged-25109241

JackofGentlemen · 01/10/2021 11:42

@Pebbledashery

He's going on the beast wing.

What does that mean?

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