Police officer sentenced to life in prison for murder of Sarah Everard

The police officer who abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard — a case that prompted a wave of criticism of the police and calls to reform the way officers handle violence against women — was sentenced on Thursday to life in prison by Britain's top criminal court.

The sentence was announced a day after prosecutors detailed how the officer, Wayne Couzens, abused his authority and, under the guise of the coronavirus restrictions imposed during a national lockdown in March, deceived Everard into thinking that she was under arrest.

Judge Adrian Bruce Fulford, in explaining why Couzens would not be eligible for parole, said that he had "irretrievably damaged the lives of Sarah Everard's family and friends"and “eroded the confidence that the public are entitled to have to the police force in England and Wales."

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The judge said that the "misuse of a police officer's role"— he used his official police credentials, equipment and training to carry out the crime, according to prosecutors — justified the steepest possible sentence.

Judges in Britain are usually obligated to give life sentences to people convicted of murder, but those sentenced to life in prison rarely serve out the entire term behind bars.

There is, however, an exception for the most serious murder cases, when a judge passes a "whole life order,"as was the case for Couzens. In this situation, the offender must remain in prison for life without any possibility of early release.

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Tom Little, a prosecutor, detailed the case against Couzens in London's central criminal court this week, revealing new and harrowing details about the March killing of Everard, a 33-year-old whose death inspired national calls for better protections for women. Those present, including Everard’s family, heard how Couzens went "hunting for a lone young female to kidnap and rape."

Couzens then confronted Everard as she walked home from a friend’s house and conducted "a false arrest"to get her into his car, the prosecutor said.

Couzens, who was a diplomatic protection officer with London's Metropolitan Police, presented a police identity card to Everard and handcuffed her before driving her out of the city, raping her and eventually killing her and setting her body on fire, Little said.

Her remains were discovered seven days later in a wooded area in Kent, nearly 80 miles from London.