A Watershed Moment: The Case Of Sarah Everard

[Music] sarah everard was born to parents jeremy and sue in june 1987 jeremy was a professor at the university of york and sue worked in the charity sector the youngest of three siblings she had a sister named katie and a brother james she went to fulford school and then in 2005 attended durham university studying human geography at st cuthbert's college gaining a 2-1 following her graduation in 2008 she moved to london and began working in marketing eventually becoming an accounts manager she lived in brixton just a few streets away from her boyfriend josh in 2021 she began a new job at the flipside group in holborn telling friends that she was so excited to start this next chapter [Music] wednesday the 3rd of march 2021 that day sarah had had a catch-up with a friend rose who had been on the same university course as her rose would tell the bbc we talked about how boring our days have been i think she was dealing with lockdown like we all were she said that sarah had also been a source of support to her when her mother passed away saying she's really caring thoughtful and never has a bad word to say about anyone ever later that day sarah left her home to go and see her friend who lived on leathwaite road on the outskirts of clapham common before going she headed to her local sainsburys to pick up a bottle of wine after their evening came to an end sarah had left at around 9pm and after she had said goodbye to her friend by clapham common at 9 15 she was captured on cctv at the bowed road junction she called her boyfriend and the pair spoke for around 15 minutes before ending the call and arranging a meet-up and one minute later at 9 28. she was seen on cctv again on cavendish road her walk home was around two and a half miles which would have taken around 50 minutes to complete although clapham common was dark she would take a well-lit route the next day soon rolled around but sarah was nowhere to be seen she failed to attend a meeting at work and her boyfriend had attempted to contact her throughout the day but it got no response just after 8 pm he reported her missing to the police an investigation and search was now underway she had been wearing navy trousers with a diamond pattern on them a green raincoat orange and turquoise trainers and a beanie she also had her phone and headphones with her but her phone was now switched off and she hadn't been receiving any messages police trawled through the cctv to try and plot which route she had taken a camera from an estate agent on the corner of the street she lived on showed that she hadn't walked past meaning she hadn't made it home there was nothing to indicate anything wrong in her personal life that would make her want to disappear her family soon arrived in london from york to help with the search putting up posters and handing out flyers to spread the message about her disappearance and generate as many potential leads as possible the reaction to her going missing was enormous and immediate her name was trending on twitter and calls were put out for anyone with cctv or dash cam footage to check to see if there were any traces of her the senior detective on the case simon harding said that her decision to not use public transport or get a taxi home may have been influenced by the restrictions that were in place in london at that time due to covert 19 and as sarah was an active woman the opportunity for a walk and some fresh air could have been more appealing it was also something that she had done many times before she had been seen walking that route on the night of the third and she was roughly one mile away from her house at that point but there was no evidence to suggest that she had made it any further on the 6th of march the police released the cctv footage in the hope it would jog someone's memory or generate a new lead for dinner on leafweight road we know she left about nine o'clock we are looking at a route back a potential route back uh to get home in brixton we suspect that she would have gone on the south circular uh it's a natural route back to brixton but we're keeping an open mind that is the last sighting of sarah we're obviously also looking into cctv and exploring that side of things as well this is of particular concern because it is so out of character and because there has been no contact with sarah now for three days we really want to be able to find sarah and reunite her with her family i'm urging members of the public to think about back to wednesday around clapham around those roads that i've just said and the surrounding areas i want them to think if they've seen anything suspicious look at that image of sarah think back to have you seen her i would also ask people to review their dash cam footage and ring doorbells just to be sure and to contact us straight away if they see anything sarah's family are extremely concerned as as are a friends cctv from a bus showed sarah standing with a man by the side of the road a vauxhall astro was nearby which also had the hazard light switched on the pair appeared to be talking this was one of the last known sightings of sarah everard at 9 38 pm another dash cam caught the same car parked there this time with both the front doors open they needed to identify this man and quickly [Music] on the 8th of march her boyfriend josh posted to social media saying sarah is still missing please share this post to help us find her today more than ever we miss our strong beautiful friend by the 9th of march the search efforts had ramped up even more and drains along the a205 were searched as too were the ponds in clapham common and that night a major announcement was made a man in deal kent had been arrested at his home police used the dash cam footage and number play recognition to trace the vauxhall astra which led them to a car hire firm in dover when they arrived staff at the firm gave them the details of the person who had rented it along with the two mobile numbers that had been given when they ran the phone numbers through the police database they came to a horrifying realization one of the numbers was registered to a married father of two who was a serving metropolitan police officer and firearms officer with the parliamentary and diplomatic protection command 48 year old wayne cousins he was arrested on suspicion of kidnap and a separate incident of indecent exposure a woman in her 30s was also arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and would later be released on bail and would face no further action the police inquiries found that wayne cousins had left london in the hours after sarah had gone missing and was in tillmanston kent in the early morning hours by 8 30 am that day he returned the hire car as there was a small chance that sarah was alive and being held somewhere against her will the police were authorized to do an emergency interview without the presence of a solicitor did you know sarah i don't know okay sarah went missing um show you some pictures of the day sarah went missing um on wednesday do you have anything about what happens i know that um she went missing up in london somewhere um a week ago but just from what i've gone through okay there's another person you know so you must have something to say that oh you find out now we believe he doesn't think about where she is and that's why we're here to look for her and to try and find her and that's why we're talking to you now i'm just trying to get you to have a good think about it um well i am in financial and i've been um lent on by um i don't know who they are the group began whatever um and they told me like i need to go and pick up girls and get into them so um i sit happily um and it then came through that they're gonna harm my family take them away you know use them instead um but at that point i had no option to try and find somebody tell me about them i need to find them tell me everything you know between sort of lemon mainstream area that i thought um i still don't know i i don't know they just i just parked my car up and then the van come up behind me flashed me and they all jumped out and then guys got out and opened my door open that door and pushed me out against the front of the car took the girl drove off that's it they said we'll be in touch so i'm here i'm off work with stress because i'm here to protect my family i want to be here 24 7 for my family they come from my family i've got nothing myself i've got no choice as an officer in diplomatic and parliamentary protection his particular unit was based mainly at the palace of westminster and guarding embassies assistant commissioner nick f graves said the arrest this evening is a serious and significant development we will continue to work with all speed on this investigation but the fact that the arrested man is a serving metropolitan police officer is both shocking and deeply disturbing i understand there will be significant public concern but it is essential that the investigative team are given the time and space to continue their work the news that a serving police officer had been arrested in connection with her case left people stunned and horrified sarah's uncle called it unbelievable and said it's difficult to get your head round it's totally baffling on wednesday the 10th of march police began conducting searches of a wooded area by ashford and a house and deal where the family cars were seized dog units were deployed and derelict buildings were searched with the assistance of a police helicopter in spite of there being no body wayne cousins was re-arrested this time on suspicion of murder the police inquiries unearthed that in 2019 he had purchased a small part of woodland off of frid lane and phone data also piqued the police's interest in looking there just before 5 pm that day nine days after her disappearance the search for sarah everard came to a tragic and abrupt end human remains were found using dental records the remains were identified as being that of sarah everard her family gave a statement our beautiful daughter sarah was taken from us and we are appealing for any information that will help solve this terrible crime sarah was bright and beautiful a wonderful daughter and sister she was kind and thoughtful caring and dependable she always put others first and had the most amazing sense of humor she was strong and principled and a shining example to us all we are very proud of her and she brought so much joy to our lives we would like to thank our friends and family for all their support during this awful time and we would especially like to thank sarah's friends who are working tirelessly to help the outpouring of shock and grief was huge many flowers were laid in tribute to her as the public expressed their disgust that something like this had happened people from all walks of life were touched by sarah's case and some breaking news to bring you this hour and the last few moments has been confirmed that the duchess of cambridge has been at the band stand on clapham common taking a look at the flowers and the tributes that have been laid in memory of the missing and abducted sarah everard you can see her there in the green coat just taking a moment like so many women have to pause and reflect and remember prime minister boris johnson said like the whole country my thoughts are with her family and friends we must work fast to find all the answers to this horrifying crime the mayor of london sadiq khan said i can only imagine the pain and terrible agonies that sarah everard's family and friends are going through right now my thoughts and prayers are with them all women and girls should be able to feel safe on the streets of london at all times [Music] the police needed to understand exactly what had happened and why wayne cousins had completed a shift from the 2nd of march at 7 7pm to 7am the following day he then headed to pick up the white vauxhall astra from the carr hire company in dover at 4 45 pm at 8 p.m on the day sarah was abducted he was seen on cctv in a tescos in kensington west london buying a packet of hairbands [Music] police believe that when he stopped her they had not met before investigators were also trying to determine whether or not he had used his warrant card to stop her and used the lockdown rules as an excuse they were granted more time to question and interview him but who exactly was wayne cousins after working at a family business in dover for just over a decade cousins was working as a traffic officer and then joined the civil nuclear constabulary a police force with the responsibility of guarding nuclear sites but not dealing with police incidents he became an authorized firearms officer and he also spent time as a ta reservist with the princess of wales's royal regiment he then joined the metropolitan police force in 2018 working with the parliamentary and diplomatic protection command following his arrest he was held at belmarsh prison and was being checked on every 15 minutes as per typical custody rules for any potentially vulnerable prisoners on his second night in custody news broke that he had been found unconscious with head injuries he was said to be alone in his cell when the injury occurred and that it had been self-inflicted the metropolitan police said in a statement the suspect was taken to a hospital for treatment to a head injury sustained while in custody he has since been discharged and returned to custody we are not prepared to discuss further the police also announced that the independent office for police conduct also known as the iopc was launching an investigation into whether there had been an appropriate response to a report that had been made that he had allegedly committed an act of indecent exposure three days before sarah everard's abduction he had been accused of exposing himself in front of a woman in a mcdonald's it was caught on cctv and reported to the metropolitan police by a member of staff that night in total there were five separate investigations being undertaken by the watchdog into sarah's case a vigil for sarah was planned but police said that it could be in breach of covert 19 restrictions assistant commissioner nick graves said i know that the public feel hurt and angry about what has happened and those are sentiments that i share personally i also recognise the wider concerns that are being raised quite rightly about the safety of women in public spaces in london and also elsewhere in the country this organization and the men and women in it remain committed to protecting londoners wherever they are in this city that commitment is undiminished by these events and if anything that commitment is strengthened by these tragic circumstances the vigil in question was due to be held on saturday the 13th of march reclaim the streets who organized it said that the police had refused to help them organize it safely and in accordance with covert 19 protocols the police said that the organizers would be liable for fines of ten thousand pounds each if the vigil went ahead which led to it being cancelled however people did go to clapham common to pay their respects and bring the issue of violence against women to the forefront the atmosphere was described as calm but the police soon attempted to disperse the crowd and were described as swarming the bandstand which was the center of the vigil police and those in attendance soon clashed resulting in six arrests for public order offences and breaching of the health protection regulations [Applause] [Music] [Applause] the commissioner of the metropolitan police force crested a dick gave a statement worth saying of course i fully understand the strength of feeling i think as a woman and hearing from people about their experiences in the past and what they feel about what happened to sarah and what has been going on i understand why so many people wanted to come and pay their respects and kind of make a statement about this indeed if it had been lawful i'd have been there i'd have been at a vigil six hours of yesterday was really calm and peaceful very few police officers around respectful people laying flowers not gathering and you know a vigil that did not breach the regulations unfortunately later on we had a really big crowd that gathered lots of speeches and quite rightly as far as i can see my team felt this is now an unlawful gathering which poses a considerable risk to people's health according to the regulations a really invidious position for my officers to find themselves in but they then moved to try to explain to people to engage with people to get people to disperse from this unlawful gathering and many many many people did unfortunately a small minority did not the home secretary called for an independent investigation to be carried out into how the police force went about shutting down the vigil sadiq khan the mayor of london agreed saying in a statement i received assurances from the metropolitan police last week that the vigil would be policed sensitively in my view this was not the case i asked the commissioner and the deputy commissioner to come into city hall today to give me an explanation of yesterday's events and the days leading up to them i am not satisfied with the explanation they have provided i will now be asking her majesty's inspectorate of constabulary hmic to conduct a full independent investigation of events yesterday evening and in previous days i am also asking the independent office for police conduct the iopc to investigate the actions of police officers yesterday evening a subsequent report cleared police of any wrongdoing individual and said that they had acted appropriately but the backlash was intense and more pressure was being added to the commissioner cressida dick to resign police stepped up patrols around clapham and other areas to try and assure women of their safety but in spite of this there was an intense backlash women from across the country took to social media to share their stories and experiences of feeling unsafe or being attacked or harassed in public police told women in clapham soon after cousins was taken into custody not to go out alone but this was met with fierce criticism with people saying that this moved the responsibility and didn't deal with the wider problems many stories were shared about being followed home and the extra steps that were often taken to try and feel safer such as packing flat shoes in order to run if necessary or holding a set of keys between the fingers isabel hardman a columnist for the evening standard an assistant editor of the spectator tweeted incredible how normal it is for women to be told not to go out alone after dark yet how strange and inexplicable this would seem if the same instruction or even a curfew were issued to men scotland yard also said that anyone stopped by a lone police officer not in uniform should try shouting out to a passerby running into a house knocking on a door waving a bus down or if you are in the position to do so calling 999 to escape someone they believe is impersonating a police officer they also said that if this happened they should challenge the apparent officer's legitimacy this was also met with backlash with people saying this was just not good enough and many would not feel safe in challenging someone in that way patsy stevenson who was arrested at the vigil for sarah called the advice almost laughable if it wasn't so disgusting i feel like they are just clutching at straws because the advice isn't relevant it's like a distraction because number one in that situation you can't just stop and hail down a bus or a taxi or something can you imagine the distrust that people have right now where they have to protect themselves from the police in that manner that is shocking politicians also expressed their views on the advice that had been given the labour mp bell rabiario addy tweeted we want to know what the met are doing to address the deeply rooted problems with violence against women in the force this completely derisory advice shows they are still not taking it seriously and they wonder why trust is at an all-time low [Music] former leader of the scottish conservatives ruth davidson tweeted this is so grim if someone believes they are in real and imminent danger from a police officer they have to flag down a bus or start chapping doors horrendous the pressure continued to build on cressida dick to step down as commissioner the member of parliament jess phillips added to the criticism of both the commissioner and the home secretary i understand their sorrow and their upset and even regret on the part of president dick but actually their sorrow isn't going to stop the fact that you know by the end of the day another woman will likely have been murdered at the hands of a man getting rid of christopher dick is not going to improve um the police force in greater manchester it's not going to help in the west midlands it's not going to help the fundamental and systematic problem that we have in this country that we just simply don't care as much about the safety and security of women in our country as we care about other things i want to hear within a week from christopher dick more than we'll work together we'll learn lessons honestly a five-year-old could come up with it there was even more backlash when the north yorkshire police and crime commissioner phillip allert said in a radio interview so women first of all need to be streetwise about when they can be arrested and when they can't be arrested she should never have been arrested and submitted to that which was condemned by many as victim blaming following a vote of no confidence he resigned [Music] while in custody wayne cousins would be taken to hospital with a head injury for a second time and a few hours later he was subsequently charged with kidnap and murder the investigations continued and police were in various locations hunting for clues and specialist divers were brought in to help search a small stretch of water senior coroner patricia harding told the inquest into sarah's death that the pathologist has not given a medical cause of death however she was able to confirm that no natural disease was found that could have caused her death and that tess would continue to work out exactly how she had died it would later be determined that she had been raped and that her cause of death was compression to the neck having been strangled by a police belt on the 22nd of may sarah everard's funeral was held at heslington church in york with friends and family gathering to honor and remember her [Music] during his first court appearance sarah everard's family watched remotely as wayne cousins appeared to have a wound on his head and rocked back and forth he spoke only to confirm his name address and birthday he was remanded in custody the true horror of what had happened and the extent of his planning would soon be laid bare on the 10th of february he had logged onto amazon and spent 2 pounds and 49 pence on a police standard issue handcuff key with double locking pin something the prosecution said was used to make sarah think that he was on duty the prosecution said that the hairbands he had purchased that day were for the purposes of the planned kidnap and rape either to be used in a sex act or as restraints the prosecution said that he proceeded to drive around hunting for a lone young female to kidnap and rape he then saw sarah everard using his warrant card in handcuffs he falsely arrested her and put her into the back seat of his vehicle and put her seat belt on he proceeded to drive to dover and cctv caught him on north military road at 11 43 pm where he put sarah into his own car prosecutor tom little qc said the fact she had been to a friend's house for dinner at the height of the early 2021 lockdown made her more vulnerable to and more likely to submit to an accusation that she had acted in breach of the covered regulations in some way at that time orders to stay at home were in place and inside contact with someone not in a support bubble was not allowed a female passenger of a car that had driven past them at the side of the road in london saw sarah being handcuffed prosecutor tom little said sarah everard was compliant with her head down and did not appear to be arguing the court listened as it emerged that cousins would often wear his police belt even when not on duty they also heard how he set up a profile on a dating site a profile that contained various lies about himself and how he had used an escort service phone analysis showed that his phone was in the sibert's walled area from 11 53 pm to three minutes to one in the morning after sarah had been kidnapped which was a place that he was familiar with during this time it is believed he raped sarah before driving back to dover after 1am at 2 34 am he went to bp dover south services and bought some soft drinks in a carrier bag it is thought that sarah had already been murdered at this point at 7 30 am his car was back on north military road and the hired vauxhall was seen driving away 45 minutes later he was seen on cctv in a costa coffee shop buying a drink and a snack he appeared to be fidgety at the till at 8 30 he returned the higher car having driven more than 300 miles in it at 1105 am he was seen in dover buying a petrol can and filling it at a bp station it is believed that this was used in an attempt to burn sarah's body [Music] he also filled his tank and then drove to a mcdonald's for food he attempted to burn her body in a refrigerator on a piece of woodland that he owned before dumping her remains into a pond at 12 40 a fire was seen in hodes wood where his car was also seen and the fire was consistent with where he had tried to burn sarah's body during this day he also took sarah's phone and threw it into a river in sandwich but a piece of a phone sim card and a blood stain in the rear passenger seat matched sarah's dna thus linking him to the offense even more seaman was also found in the back seat which was a match for cousins the following day he called a vet in the early afternoon to book an appointment for his dog oh yeah i was wondering if i could book my um dog in for the uh for the vet so i can have a discussion about her issues please yep no that's fine um she well we think she's suffering from like separation anxiety like a quite a bad degree of separation anxiety then potential medications like trying karma down so that's what we want to talk to the vet about really in a way forward with it he also called into work and said he wouldn't be able to come in as he was suffering from stress but was then seen at 2pm in dover at a b q store buying two large green bags before returning to hodes wood where it is believed he had moved her body using the bags the following day he emailed his supervisor saying he didn't want to carry a firearm anymore later that day he ordered a 2x2 meter tarpaulin and a cargo net from amazon on the 7th of march he took his family on a day out to none other than hodes would allowing his young children to play near to where her body was he was due to be back at work on the 8th of march but failed to go in saying he was unwell by the 9th of march the police had enough to make an arrest and at 7 50 pm wayne cousins was in custody in july 2021 more disturbing information came to light when kent police confirmed that in june 2015 a complaint had been made that a man had been driving whilst being naked from the waist down this was alleged to be weighing cousins but no arrests had been made following this information the iopc launched an inquiry into whether the complaints had been handled properly by chem police this was alongside the other allegation of indecent exposure in the mcdonald's just a few days before sarah's abduction in spite of that allegation he had continued working as a police officer wayne cousins pleaded guilty to the kidnapping by force or fraud and rape of sarah everard but was asked not to enter a plea in relation to her murder although his defense said he had accepted responsibility for her killing he was subsequently sacked from the police force following his confession the commissioner of the metropolitan police force cressida dick was in court alongside sarah's family the presiding judge lord justice fulford said that he was considering a whole life order meaning if this sentence was given cousins would never be eligible for parole on july 9 2021 wayne cousins entered the plea of guilty to the murder of sarah everard carolyn oakley a crown prosecution service specialist prosecutor in the special crime division said today wayne cousins pleaded guilty to the murder of sarah everard this plea is as a result of a great deal of hard work by the prosecution team the police should be commended for their thorough and tireless investigation into sarah's disappearance wayne cousins lied to the police when he was arrested and to date has refused to comment we still do not know what drove him to commit this appalling crime against a stranger today is not the day for hearing the facts about what happened to sarah today is a day to remember sarah and our thoughts remain with her family and friends his sentence hearing went on for two days the prosecution argued that the severity of the crime was so extreme a whole life order needed to be considered during the sentencing hearing her family gave statements her mother susan said that sarah had spent her last hours on earth with the very worst of humanity she lost her life because wayne cousins wanted to satisfy his perverted desires she told the court that she and her family were going through unbearable suffering and that wayne cousins repulsed her and that she was outraged that he masqueraded as a policeman she explained that her daughter had wanted to marry and become a mother dreams that had now been cruelly ripped away her father said he thought about what happened to sarah all the time saying the impact of what you have done will never end a father wants to look after his children and fix everything and you have deliberately and with premeditation stopped my ability to do that her sister katie was overcome with emotion as she explained how cousins had treated sarah like she meant nothing and thrown her away like rubbish they asked cousins to look them in the eye as they spoke but he did not apparently due to shame jim sturman qc said that wayne cousins felt genuine remorse for his actions he also argued that a whole life order was not appropriate as he had admitted the offence and it was a single killing as opposed to a serial killer sturman said that cousins deserved a life term with a minimum of 30 years he said he appeared to be living a life as a law-abiding man with a loving family and his colleagues described him as calm and friendly nothing i say today is at all intended to minimize the horror of what the defendant did that night and after he makes no excuses for his actions he accepts he will receive and he deserves a severe punishment no right-minded person can feel anything other than revulsion for what he did he does not seek to make excuses for anything that he did and he is filled with self-loathing and abject shame during the sentencing lord justice fulford said that the murder had been planned in all its unspeakably grim detail and that all that was missing for cousins was a victim he said that cousin spent at least a month travelling to london to research how best to commit these crimes emphasizing the degree of preparation and the length of time over which it extended lord justice fulford said that the seriousness of the case was exceptionally high and consequently resulted in a whole life order the harshest sentence possible under the law lord justice fulford said wayne cousins you kidnapped raped and murdered sarah everard having long planned a violent sexual assault on a yet to be selected victim who you intended to coerce into your custody you have irretrievably damaged the lives of sarah everard's family and friends mrs everard devastatingly referred to how the wider world has now lost its appeal for her and i would add no doubt for many others who cared for your victim and sarah everard's sister referred to the inescapable reality of the many lives you have ruined you have eroded confidence that the public are entitled to having the police forces of england and wales it is critical that every subject in this country can trust police officers when they encounter them and submit to their authority which they are entitled to believe is being exercised in good faith you have utterly betrayed your family your wife and children who want all the evidence are entirely blameless will have to live with the ignominy of your dreadful crimes for the rest of their lives you have very considerably added to the sense of insecurity than many have living in our cities perhaps particularly women when traveling by themselves and especially at night during the period before your arrest there was never a moment when you gave the slightest indication of regret following perhaps the realization of the enormity of the dreadful crimes you had committed those consequences are that on the count of murder you will be imprisoned for life and the tariff is a whole life order i have taken into account the offences of kidnapping and rape in reaching that decision and on those counts i impose no separate penalty take him down and with that wayne cousins was taken away to begin the rest of his life in detention the decision was a landmark one it was the first time that a whole life order for the murder of one person where terrorism had not played a part was given following his sentence cressida dick apologized i absolutely know that there are those who feel their trust in us is shaken i recognize that for some people a precious bond of trust has been damaged our dedication to you our public remains undiminished as commissioner i will do everything in my power to ensure we learn any lessons i know that what happened to sarah and indeed what has happened to other women in london and beyond in recent times has raised important questions about women's safety here in the met i commit to keep working with others to improve women's safety and reduce the fear of violence there are no words that can fully express the fury and overwhelming sadness that we all feel about what happened to sarah i am so sorry [Music] after his conviction he was transferred from balmarsh to hmp franklin in the wake of his sentencing the police appealed for any information regarding other potential crimes committed by wayne cousins saying we continue to build up a picture of cousins career and wider activities we would like to appeal to anyone who has information of concern about cousins whether police colleagues or members of the public to contact us directly the ongoing spotlight put on the metropolitan police force and the culture within its ranks was intense twelve separate officers were being investigated in relation to the case by the iopc [Music] cousins had allegedly garnered the nickname the rapist by his colleagues at the civil nuclear constabulary due to him making female co-workers feel uneasy and uncomfortable senior investigating officer simon harding told sky news that the nickname was not used by many people and that a lot of people didn't notice he was this person assistant commissioner of the metropolitan police force nick f grave refuted the claims that he was referred to as the rapist saying that is not something that was made aware to us however sir tom windsor the chief inspector of constabulary would later confirm that this nickname was true on bbc radio 4's world at one when he was asked if he was aware of the nickname he said yes i do know that and he also allegedly had a reputation in terms of drug abuse extreme pornography and other offences of this kind he would also later say that he was concerned about an alleged culture of colleague protection in too many respects they are failing to take appropriate action and throw these people out a retired metropolitan police sergeant with 30 years experience in the force graham wetton said i have never heard a nickname like that before why would you call somebody that and in a police environment it raises alarm bells the national chair of the police federation of england and wales john apter called wayne cousins an absolute disgrace to the police service and said that he was ashamed he was ever a police officer he said i am proud to carry a warrant card but this vile individual's abuse of that authority has cast a shadow on all those who work within policing he has brought disgrace to our uniform the way he took advantage of sarah's trust makes me feel sick to the stomach how cousins have been able to join the metropolitan police force was also called into question the met said in a statement that although he had passed the vetting process they said a range of checks may not have been undertaken correctly they also said they might not have checked a car that was registered to him and linked to the 2015 allegation of indecent exposure confirming that the met police were unaware of the 2015 allegation whether this was down to his former employer at the cnc or their checks they said in a statement to sky news wayne cousins was vetted in accordance with his role following his arrest a review confirmed he passed vetting processes the checks confirmed there was no information available to the mets at that time that would have changed the vetting decision cousins was not subject to any misconduct proceedings during his time at the met a non-statutory inquiry was also launched examining how he was able to in spite of concerns regarding his conduct and behavior work in three different police forces when cousins joined the parliamentary and diplomatic protection unit in february of 2020 he had not been given enhanced vetting and reports said that this was due to a rush to try and recruit as many officers as possible following the terrorist attacks in paris in 2017 it was also reported that cousins had not finished the two-year probationary period which was mandatory before he began working with the parliamentary and diplomatic protection command in september 2021 the iopc issued a statement saying we have served a total of 12 gross misconduct or misconduct notices on police officers from several forces as we continue to investigate the matters linked to the conduct of pc cousins several notices related to allegations that officers had not behaved in accordance with professional behavior standards by using a messaging app to share information about cousins prosecution another probe was made into allegations that three metropolitan police officers who were still in their probationary period with the force had shared an inappropriate graphic depicting violence against women with colleagues via whatsapp although they were not on duty at the time one of them would later man according to one of the search sites a separate inquiry was also being made into the allegation of him exposing himself in mcdonald's a few days before sarah was abducted and the two investigating officers were being examined for possible breaches of professional standards and another investigation was being made into the allegation of indecent exposure back in 2015 the home secretary preeti patel announced that she would review whether or not police officers fully use the existing powers to deal with men who either commit indecent exposure or sexually harass women she urged female victims of male harassment and violence to share their experiences and help form a new strategy to protect women in the initial 10-week survey more than 15 000 responses were lodged and the home office said they expected the number to rise potentially more than doubling in the preceding weeks in october 2021 it was reported that police were looking into an allegation that wayne cousins had sexually assaulted and harassed a drag queen at a bar the drag queen had reported the incident to the police following sarah's highly publicized case also in october another shocking story hit the headlines radio dj emma b said that in 2008 she had been walking in greenwich london with her baby son in a pram after dropping her daughter at school she said a man had shouted hay at her when she turned around he exposed himself wayne cousins you believe was the person you saw when did you first put those two things together because of course you know very unfortunately here's a name that we now know and it's a face that we've become familiar looking at in light of what happened to sarah um it was immediate um that's what i've reported back to the met um and to the iopc it was immediate um and um and i said to my husband immediately i think that's him um and i let it settle for a couple of days and i called a few girlfriends and you know said do you remember the time when when that happened in greenwich yeah yeah yeah yeah and i said i think it's him so it was immediate and i kind of just you know you you have to be obviously cautiously careful about saying things like this out loud but um it was it was very specific in the way that i was just i described him initially to the police when they first came around it's a face that doesn't go anywhere you know it stays with you um and it was only um and then and then after a week or two of me just googling and seeing some more pictures and reassuring myself i think um there was there were more reports of previous behavior that seemed uh to add to me needing to say something and report that back and and i know that this is now with the police again yeah we've got a statement uh the met police spokesman has said uh with regards to the incident in 2008 police were called in november 2008 after a woman reported she was pushing a pram in black wool lane sc10 when a man called out to her she turned and found he'd exposed himself and was touching himself inappropriately she went into a nearby shop police were alerted a search of the area was conducted but the man had left cctv inquiries were unsuccessful the incident was passed to the local safer neighborhoods team for intelligence and in terms of it being uh cousins weighing cousins to the best of our knowledge we are not aware of any reports prior to his march arrest when he was named as a suspect of course if we receive any allegation we will assess and investigate accordingly but but in terms of your strength of recognition of him as you say that was that was pretty instant how did that make you feel that that could have been the same person this so the part of the part of the um interview that that took place when the police came over to my house um was when they they thought it was really quite amusing when i was detailing um because of their questioning detailing you know quite graphically what they needed to know but i i remember and i've said this again time and time again i remember clearly saying to them i'm really hope that this is all he needs to do and i said that at the time because i was so like oh struck by how how feeble their response was i said then i really hope that this is all he needs to do and there's there's a there's a big part of me that really hopes it wasn't him because because if it was this is horrific also in october of 2021 the times reported that prior to his arrest wayne cousins had shared grossly offensive racist and misogynistic material in a group chat with other officers this came as yet another blow to the metropolitan police force who had been trying to rebuild and restore their reputation commissioner cressida dick said that an investigation would be launched into all current allegations of domestic abuse or sexual misconduct against london police officers and a review of any allegations made over the last 10 years would take place too on the 10th of february 2022 cressida dick announced that she would resign as commissioner as she had lost the support of the mayor of london sadiq khan this was a matter of hours after she said she had no intention of leaving her role last week i made clear to the metropolitan police commissioner the scale of the change i believe is urgently required to rebuild the trust and confidence of londoners in the met and to root out the racism sexism homophobia bullying discrimination and misogyny that still exists i am not satisfied with the commissioner's response on being informed of this dame chrysler dick has offered her resignation which i have accepted it is quite clear that the mayor no longer has sufficient confidence in my leadership of the metropolitan police service for me to continue as commissioner he has left me no choice but to step aside i say this with deep sadness and regret the murder of sarah everard and many other awful cases recently have i know damaged confidence in this fantastic police service there is much to do and i know that the met has turned its full attention to rebuilding trust and confidence and to raising our standards i am very optimistic for the future of the met and for london to mark the anniversary of her disappearance a walk was organized by urban angels in memory of those lost to gender-based violence beginning at clapham north station and ending at the bandstand of clap and common it marked where the first vigil had been held the purpose of the event is to give the community an opportunity give the community an opportunity to come together to commemorate all victims of gendered violence and also pay respects to and remember those women that have lost their lives in march 2022 it was reported that wayne cousins had been charged with four counts of indecent exposure from between january and february of 2021. during his first court appearance to answer for these charges he requested to have a crown court jury trial in may he appeared at the old bailey courthouse in london via a video link and entered pleas of not guilty in relation to the charges of indecent exposure also that month it was announced that high court judges had ruled that the met had breached the human rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly of those who had been arrested at the first vigil and in august 2022 those who had been arrested were told they would not face prosecution as the crown prosecution service said it was not in the public interest wayne cousins lodged an appeal against his conviction but in july 2022 the court of appeal upheld the whole life order we are today handing down our written judgment in cases concerning the sentences of four offenders convicted of murder and one of manslaughter the second concerns wayne cousins who pleaded guilty to kidnap and rape of sarah everard and later he pleaded guilty to her murder on the 30th of september 2021 he was sentenced to imprisonment for life for the murder with a whole life order no separate penalty was imposed for the offences of kidnapping and rape cousins seeks leave to appeal against sentence in his case we grant leave to appeal against sentence but dismiss the appeal although the circumstances of his case do not fall within the terms of the statutory provision which provides that a whole life order should be the normal starting point the individual facts are such that the judge was entitled exceptionally to impose a whole life order that concludes this short hearing all right for many the case of sarah everard was a watershed moment it brought issues surrounding personal safety sexual harassment and violence against women under the spotlight as well as the culture within the metropolitan police force and beyond reclaim the streets set up a fundraiser to support women's charities and more than half a million pounds was raised police officers in the united kingdom take an oath promising to serve with fairness integrity diligence and impartiality upholding fundamental human rights and according equal respect to all people part of the oath reads i will to the best of my skill and knowledge discharge all the duties thereof faithfully according to the law wayne cousins broke this oath in the most shocking way imaginable and also broke the trust the members of the public place in police officers her case brought the police under scrutiny and continued the conversation about gender-based violence and the safety or lack thereof than many feel when in public especially at night or on their own the damage this case caused to so many people is immeasurable the public's trust in the police suffered heavily and for many it will take a long time for it to be restored for sarah's family and friends she was irreplaceable a funny kind and caring woman her life was taken in an appalling and grotesque way by someone she should have been able to trust sarah everard was simply trying to get home [Music] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Truly Criminal

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Length: 63min 41sec (3821 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 10 2022