The former UK police officer who murdered Sarah Everard has been told he'll never be released from prison.
Wayne Couzens has been handed a rare whole live term by a judge at the Old Bailey in London.
A placard that says 'She Was Only Walking Home' placed next to floral tributes left at the band stand in Clapham Common, London, for murdered Sarah Everard. Serving police constable Wayne Couzens, 48, appeared in court on Saturday charged with kidnapping and murdering the 33-year-old marketing executive, who went missing while walking home from a friend's flat in south London on March 3. Picture date: Monday March 15, 2021.🚨 Former UK police officer Wayne Couzens has been sentenced to his whole life in prisons for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard in London in March.
— Ben Finnegan (@_BenFinnegan) September 30, 2021
His sentencing heard he handcuffed the 33 year-old as she walked home from a friend's house in Clapham in London in March before killing her.
After hearing the evidence the judge decided he deserved the toughest sentence available under UK law.
Couzens had used his Metropolitan Police-issue warrant cards and handcuffs to kidnap Ms Everard as she walked home from a friend's house in south London on the evening of March 3rd.
The firearms officer, who had clocked off from a 12-hour shift at the American embassy in London that morning, drove her to a secluded rural area in Kent before raping her.
By 2.30am the following morning, he had strangled Ms Everard with his police belt.
Couzens then burned her body in a refrigerator in an area of woodland he owned, before he dumped the remains in a nearby pond.
Days later, he took his family on a day out to the woods and allowed his two children to play nearby.
A poster appealing for information in London, England after Sarah Everard disappearedWhen he was arrested at his home on March 9th, he concocted a story about being threatened by a gang - but later pleaded guilty to kidnapping, raping and murdering Ms Everard.
In a statement released this afternoon, her family have said:
"We are very pleased that Wayne Couzens has received a full life sentence and will spend the rest of his life in jail. Nothing can make things better, nothing can bring Sarah back, but 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. 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.
"We are immensely grateful to the police and legal team who worked on Sarah’s case. We cannot thank them enough for their meticulous and painstaking work and for their constant support. We also send our heartfelt thanks to our family and friends for comforting us through this terrible time."
Sarah's killing sparked protests about women's safety with concerns raised about trust in police.
