[News] Wayne Couzens has pleaded guilty to murder of Sarah Everard

[TugWilson]

That's nothing to do with The Metropolitan Police, or the police in general. It's the courts/judges who dish out poor sentances. If you follow the justice system or court results for any reason you'll see that it is very common for judges to hand out sentances that most normal folk are baffled about. It's not just reserved for cases where the defendant is a police officer, as per your examples.

I disagree with you about this case. Despite his early guilty plea, i suspect he will quite rightly get a long sentance of 25-30 years minimum. It also looks likely that he'll be charged with other offences. If he gets a crap sentance it'll be because the courts are a joke, not because he is a police officer.

I wish i had your faith , i always base these things on what someone like me would normally expect for a similar crime , and from what i have witnessed police officers are treated very differently . For instance if i had committed ONE sexual offence my arse would be in a sling , but this guy committed multiple offences and was still trusted with firearms ! . And if what i have read is true that was down to the Police not the courts or judges .

 

[drew]

It does feel worse because a trial would have teased out a few more details and I'm not talking about the ones that are hard to hear.

Now the family is left with a series of unknowns.

Not necessarily. It may well be that he has given the Police full details as to what happened and if the family wanted to know surely the Police would have kept them informed.

The fact there is no trial means that, in the main, all the sordid information won't be in the pubic domain or all over the front pages. The downside of his guilty plea is whether he gets a reduced minimum term because of it.

NB. Having just read up on it would seem the maximum reduction in the minimum term is 1/6th or 5 years, whichever is lower.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I wish i had your faith , i always base these things on what someone like me would normally expect for a similar crime , and from what i have witnessed police officers are treated very differently . For instance if i had committed ONE sexual offence my arse would be in a sling , but this guy committed multiple offences and was still trusted with firearms ! . And if what i have read is true that was down to the Police not the courts or judges .

Maybe you should find and read the sentencing guidelines.
https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/

 

[TugWilson]

Maybe you should find and read the sentencing guidelines.
https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/

When does common sense come into it ?

 

[The Clamp]

Baffling to me how a 40 something man with no military or policing experience can go from working in a mechanics to getting a role on an armed protection detail in the space of 3 years. Something dodgy there for sure.

 

[johanngull]

Why are we still waiting for the Daniel Morgan report?

The independent report was published a few weeks ago.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/daniel-morgan-independent-panel-report

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57484219

 

[Thunder Bolt]

The independent report was published a few weeks ago.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/daniel-morgan-independent-panel-report

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57484219

And has there been any action or widespread reporting on it? Apologies (which mean nothing) or resignations?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57484219

 

[johanngull]

And has there been any action or widespread reporting on it? Apologies (which mean nothing) or resignations?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57484219

The BBC is quite widespread reporting is it not. That is the same link i gave you.
I read about it elsewhere too and saw it on the news. Seems quite widespread and surprising to have missed it.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jun/15/daniel-morgan-report-six-key-findings-in-focus

 

[clapham_gull]

Not necessarily. It may well be that he has given the Police full details as to what happened.

He hasn't apparently, which was why I made the point. He may do in time.

 

[clapham_gull]

Baffling to me how a 40 something man with no military or policing experience can go from working in a mechanics to getting a role on an armed protection detail in the space of 3 years. Something dodgy there for sure.

He was an armed office in the Civil Nuclear Constabulary before. What's dodgy is the fact they are now investigating THREE indecent exposure incidents, the first in 2015.

 

[drew]

He hasn't apparently, which was why I made the point. He may do in time.

Even in court he might not have taken the stand to give evidence. I would suggest the Police have a good idea of what he did to her, what they don't know is why which I would guess is the piece that the family would want to know.

 

[junior]

Baffling to me how a 40 something man with no military or policing experience can go from working in a mechanics to getting a role on an armed protection detail in the space of 3 years. Something dodgy there for sure.

​

I believe he used to be CNC. However there is nothing dodgy in someone becoming a firearms officer in 3 years. Once you've done a 2 year probationary period a cop can apply for any specialist post, including firearms work. I would imagine it's one of the hardest specialist posts to get into and pass all the subsequent courses, but if you get through the process it doesn't matter if you've done 2 or 22 years as a cop. Definitely nothing dodge going on.

 

[The Clamp]

​

I believe he used to be CNC. However there is nothing dodgy in someone becoming a firearms officer in 3 years. Once you've done a 2 year probationary period a cop can apply for any specialist post, including firearms work. I would imagine it's one of the hardest specialist posts to get into and pass all the subsequent courses, but if you get through the process it doesn't matter if you've done 2 or 22 years as a cop. Definitely nothing dodge going on.

Ah, fair play. I didn’t realise his background. Back in March all the papers were making a big deal of him being an MOT mechanic.
My bad.

 

[clapham_gull]

Whole thing makes absolutely no sense. Had a wife and family - didn’t know the victim and was seemingly random yet pre meditated with the hire car. Also to dump the body by their own land. Horrible.

Feel so much for the family here and of course Sarah. Having gone through a horrible seemingly long ordeal before being killed. Senseless. Personally couldn’t give a shit if he was a police officer or a butcher but the press will play on the officer thing. RIP

His job is relevant because you have a psychopath with a license to use a firearm and secondly the Police believe he probably used his status and warrant card to abduct Sarah.

 

[e77]

I have gone through SC clearance and that is fairly invasive but the Developed Vetting (DV) he would have gone through would probably have found out things about him he didn't know about himself. Plus presumably there is regular psychiatric evaluations for Policemen who can carry firearms?

Either he went off the rails fairly quickly or something was missed.

 

[clapham_gull]

Either he went off the rails fairly quickly or something was missed.

As the Police have now reported themselves to the IOPC over three suspected indecent exposure incidents that weren't fully explored I think the term ignored is probably more appropriate.

 

[junior]

As the Police have now reported themselves to the IOPC over three suspected indecent exposure incidents that weren't fully explored I think the term ignored is probably more appropriate.

Do you genuinely think that if the police had enough evidence that he was responsible for indecent exposures that they would have ignored it?

Just because a police force refer themselves to the IOPC doesn't automatically mean there has been any wrongdoing or is an admission of guilt, it's routine and part of the openness needed for police legitimacy and for them to police with consent.

I'm not saying the bloke isn't a bent copper, im sure he's probably guilty of everything that's being said of him, but there's a hell of a lot of false information being posted and if there was a fact checker on this forum this thread would be decimated.

 

[clapham_gull]

Do you genuinely think that if the police had enough evidence that he was responsible for indecent exposures that they would have ignored.

OK let's put is as not acting in time. Multiple press reports have stated he was caught on CCTV a few days before and a crime report was created.

 

[clapham_gull]

Lost his job today.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57869528

 

[Weststander]

Listening to the radio they're reporting the victim impact statements being made this afternoon by Sarah's family to the judge, prior to sentencing tomorrow.

Expressing unbridled rage towards Couzens, the feelings I'd have in their nightmarish position, not an ounce of understanding or Christian compassion for him. Expressing their anger that their Sarah spent her last hours on earth with the worst of humanity.

It won't help, but hopefully tomorrow will signal this piece of shit never experiencing liberty again. He's already self-harming, I hope any suicide attempts fail.


[It emerged today that Couzens made a fraudulent 'arrest' of her with handcuffs].