UK policeman charged with woman’s murder appears in court

Published March 14, 2021
People stand in front of flowers at a memorial site at the Clapham Common Bandstand, following the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard, in London. — Reuters
People stand in front of flowers at a memorial site at the Clapham Common Bandstand, following the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard, in London. — Reuters

LONDON: A serving British police officer accused of the kidnap and murder of a woman in London appeared in court for the first time on Saturday.

Wayne Couzens, 48, is charged with kidnapping and killing 33-year-old Sarah Everard, who went missing while walking home from a friend’s apartment in south London on the evening of March 3.

The case has sparked a national outcry, and the Metropolitan Police has expressed anger and shock that one of its own was arrested for the crime. The force said Couzens joined its ranks in 2018, and most recently served in the parliamentary and diplomatic protection command, an armed unit responsible for guarding London embassies and Parliament.

Couzens, who wore a gray tracksuit, stood as the charges were read to him during Saturday’s brief hearing. He was remanded in custody to appear at London’s Central Criminal Court on Tuesday.

Everard’s body was found hidden in an area of woodland in Kent, southeast of London, on Wednesday.

In the wake of her disappearance and killing, many women have taken to social media to share their own experiences of being threatened or attacked while walking outside.

Some had planned to organise a vigil in Everards memory on Saturday, but a High Court judge said such a gathering would be unlawful due to coronavirus restrictions.

The Metropolitan Police stressed it shared the nation's outrage at this crime and understood the organisers' frustrations that the gathering had to be canceled, but said it was important to remain vigilant against the threat of Covid-19.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Ultimate price
Updated 02 Nov, 2024

Ultimate price

To dismantle culture of impunity for crimes against journalists, state must ensure that perpetrators do not go unpunished.
Mastung bombing
02 Nov, 2024

Mastung bombing

INSTABILITY continues to haunt Balochistan, as Friday morning’s bombing in Mastung has shown. At least nine...
Plane speak
02 Nov, 2024

Plane speak

DESPITE all its efforts to facilitate PIA’s privatisation, it seems the government only ended up being taken for a...
Seeking investment
Updated 01 Nov, 2024

Seeking investment

Foreign visits will be fruitless unless crucial structural, policy reforms directly affecting investors are focused.
State-backed terror
01 Nov, 2024

State-backed terror

OVER the past year or so, India’s reportedly malign activities in foreign countries have increasingly come under the radar, with
Shared crisis
01 Nov, 2024

Shared crisis

WITH Lahore experiencing unprecedented levels of smog, the Punjab government has announced a series of “green...