The London police officer arrested for the kidnapping, rape and murder of Sarah Everard, 33, pleaded guilty to her murder on Friday for a crime that sparked shock waves across the UK.
Wayne Couzens, a 48-year-old former Metropolitan Police officer, had already admitted kidnapping and rape, as he pleaded guilty At the time, he also admitted that “he was responsible for his murder,” but did not file a complaint on the murder charge, fiscal dit.
On Friday, officials announced that Couzens had pleaded guilty to murder and will be convicted on Sept. 29.
“This request is the result of a great deal of work by the tax team,” said Carolyn Oakley, of the Crown Tax Service. “Police are to be congratulated for their thorough and tireless investigation into Sarah’s disappearance.”
Everard, a London-based marketing executive, disappeared on the night of March 3 while walking from a friend’s house. Couzens was arrested days later and Everard’s body was found in a wooded area more than 50 kilometers from where she had last been seen. An autopsy revealed the cause of death neck compression.
The young woman’s death caused a wave of pain and anger in the UK. Online, many women he spoke about the gender-based violence and insecurity they often feel making their lives. A quiet place vigil in London, held shortly after the murder, he attracted thousands of people, but the police found him by force, arresting four women and igniting an even deeper fury against the same institution employed by Everard’s murderer.
In a Press conference on Friday, Cressida Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dick said she and the entire police force are “angry, angry and devastated” by Everard’s murder and “feel betrayed” by being committed by one of their own.
“Sarah was a fantastic, talented young woman with a lifetime ahead of her, and that has been snatched away,” Dick said. “They loved her so much and she will miss her very much.”
It is still unknown why Couzens murdered Everard. In court, prosecutor Tom Little said they had never met and were “totally unknown,” according to the BBC.
He had previously invented an elaborate lie to explain the events, the BBC he reported, falsely claiming that a band from Eastern Europe threatened his family and forced him to kidnap Everard.
But the real motive for the brutal crime, even if it exists, remains a mystery.
“Couzens lied to police when he was arrested and, to date, has refused to comment,” Oakley said. “We still don’t know what prompted him to commit this terrible terror against a stranger.”
