Wayne Couzens: Sarah Everard’s killer handed 19 month prison sentence for indecent exposure

Warning: readers may find details of this story distressing

Wayne Couzens has been handed a 19 month prison sentence for three flashing incidents, before he abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard.

The former Metropolitan Police officer, 50, is already serving a whole life jail sentence for the murder of Ms Everard, 33. In March 2021, Couzens, then a serving officer, snatched marketing executive Ms Everard off the street as she walked home in South London.

Following his conviction, Couzens - formerly of Deal in Kent - was charged with multiple counts of indecent exposure. In February, he pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to three counts.

He appeared in the Old Bailey on Monday (6 March), where he was sentenced to 19 months in prison.

Justice May said the sentencing for indecent exposure served as “public recognition” of the fact of the offences and the impact on the victims, and “their courage and resilience” in coming forward. She highlighted the victims’ statements which recounted the impact of Couzens’ “selfish, sexually aggressive acts”.

The judge said: “The fact that no police came to find him or his black car to question him about these incidents can only have served to confirm and strengthen in the defendant’s mind a dangerous belief in his invincibility, in his power sexually to dominate and abuse women without being stopped.”

The court heard details about the three indecent exposure incidents, which took place in woodland and at a fast food restaurant in Kent between November 2020 and February 2021. On 13 November 2020, he stepped out of a rural wodded area in Deal naked, and masturbated as a woman cycled past.

Justice May said: “She was scared and shaken, and could do nothing but cycle past, up the hill, as fast as she was able.” The victim noticed a black car parked 50 metres away, and recalled a partial number plate.

She warned away some walkers before calling her husband to tell him what had happened at about 1.40pm. Traffic cameras and cell phone location data located Couzens in his vehicle in the same country area at that time.

On Monday, the court heard Couzens was supposed to be on duty, working from home, when he flashed the cyclist.

A few months later, on different occasions on February 14 and 27 2021, Couzens exposed his genitals to staff at a drive-thru fast food restaurant in Kent. He sat in his car and looked straight at them as he showed his erect penis while handing his card to pay for food.

The senior judge said: “The female staff were shaken, upset and angry.” On the second occasion, staff took down his registration number and identified the car from CCTV as a black Seat, which was registered to Couzens.

Couzens had denied three other indecent exposure charges relating to an alleged incident in June 2015, one between January 22 and February 1 2021, and one between January 30 and February 6 2021.

An independent inquiry led by Dame Elish Angiolini will investigate Couzens’ earlier sexual offending, and whether any opportunities were missed that could have stopped him before Ms Everard’s murder.