Richard Gardner/ShutterstockFormer British police officer Wayne Couzens has been sentenced to a whole-life prison term for the kidnapping, rape and murder of Sarah Everard.
The sentence was delivered by the judge, Lord Justice Fulford, in London's Central Criminal Court of England and Wales on Sept. 30. Fulford described the circumstances surrounding Everard's death as "devastating, tragic and wholly brutal" and said he's seen "no evidence of genuine contrition" on Couzens' part.
In a statement, Everard's family said that while "nothing can bring Sarah back...knowing he will be imprisoned forever brings some relief."
"Sarah lost her life needlessly and cruelly and all the years of life she had yet to enjoy were stolen from her," they continued. "Wayne Couzens held a position of trust as a police officer and we are outraged and sickened that he abused this trust in order to lure Sarah to her death. The world is a safer place with him imprisoned. It is almost seven months since Sarah died and the pain of losing her is overwhelming. We miss her all the time. She was a beautiful young woman in looks and character and our lives are the poorer without her. We remember all the lovely things about Sarah—her compassion and kindness, her intelligence, her strong social conscience. But we especially like to remember her laughing and dancing and enjoying life. We hold her safe in our hearts."
They also expressed their appreciation to the police and legal team who worked on Everard's case. "We cannot thank them enough for their meticulous and painstaking work and for their constant support," the family continued. "We also send our heartfelt thanks to our family and friends for comforting us through this terrible time."
Everard, a 33-year-old marketer, disappeared while walking home from a friend's house in London in early March. According to The New York Times, prosecutors said Couzens used his position as a police officer and the coronavirus regulations put in place amid the lockdown to trick Everard into thinking she was under arrest and entering his rental car.
"She was an intelligent, resourceful, talented and much-loved young woman, still in the early years of her life," Fulford added during the sentencing. "I have not the slightest doubt that the defendant used his position as a police officer to coerce her on a wholly false pretext into the car he had hired for this purpose. It is most likely that he suggested to Sarah Everard that she had breached the restrictions on movement that were being enforced during that stage of the pandemic."
According to NBC News, prosecutors said Couzens then drove to a secluded area and raped and murdered Everard before burning her body and clothing. Her body was found in the woods in the county of Kent a week after her disappearance.
Couzens later pleaded guilty to the kidnapping, rape and murder of Everard. He was also dismissed from the Metropolitan Police, which he'd joined in 2018 and worked for the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command as an authorized firearms officer since 2020.
"We are sickened angered and devastated by this man's crimes which betray everything we stand for," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement ahead of the sentencing. "Our thoughts are with Sarah's family and her many friends. It is not possible for us to imagine what they are going through. We recognize his actions raise many questions and concerns but we will not be commenting further until the hearing is complete."
In a Sept. 23 interview with Good Morning Britain, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that, "between last year's International Women's Day and this year's International Women's Day, 118 women were killed at the hands of men across the country." He said a "whole system approach" is needed and that "we need to make sure, at a young age, our boys are taught to respect girls."
"I think we need to make misogyny a hate crime," Khan added. "I think harassment in the public space against women should be a criminal offense. I think the inspector is spot on: We've got to give this issue the same seriousness we give other issues."