What were the police blunders that left Wayne Couzens free to murder Sarah Everard?
Failings in vetting, whistleblowing and straightforward policing were all to blame for the failure to stop the killer.
⬇️
telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/09/3…
Failings in vetting, whistleblowing and straightforward policing were all to blame for the failure to stop the killer.
⬇️
telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/09/3…
🔴Wayne Couzens had such a reputation for sexual deviance that he was known to his colleagues as "the rapist".
Identified as the suspect in an indecent exposure case six years ago, it was also an open secret that he was a drug user with a taste for extreme pornography
Identified as the suspect in an indecent exposure case six years ago, it was also an open secret that he was a drug user with a taste for extreme pornography
Three days before he abducted Sarah Everard, Couzens exposed himself at a McDonald's drive-thru restaurant. Staff reported the incident to police, who identified his car via CCTV.
❌He was not arrested, leaving him free to kidnap, rape and murder
❌He was not arrested, leaving him free to kidnap, rape and murder
➡️'Gave women the creeps' – but behaviour went unreported
Couzens reportedly "gave women the creeps" but, in the male-dominated world of policing, none of the women made a formal complaint against him
Couzens reportedly "gave women the creeps" but, in the male-dominated world of policing, none of the women made a formal complaint against him
If Couzens' behaviour had been reported at the time, he might have been thrown out of the force years before he used his warrant card to coax Miss Everard into his car.
It was the first of several missed opportunities to stop him
It was the first of several missed opportunities to stop him
🔴Flashing while driving
Couzens is now known to have repeatedly exposed himself while driving – an offence which would almost certainly have ended his police career if it had been detected at the time
Couzens is now known to have repeatedly exposed himself while driving – an offence which would almost certainly have ended his police career if it had been detected at the time
🔴A porous vetting process
Despite Kent Police's failure to arrest Couzens, the fact that he had been identified as a suspected flasher might still have come to light when he applied to transfer to the Metropolitan Police in 2018
Despite Kent Police's failure to arrest Couzens, the fact that he had been identified as a suspected flasher might still have come to light when he applied to transfer to the Metropolitan Police in 2018
Although he was vetted, the flashing incident did not come to light and he was able to walk straight into a new job
Couzens gave police one more chance to catch him when he returned to his habit of flashing just days before he murdered Miss Everard.
It was the last – and biggest – missed chance
It was the last – and biggest – missed chance
Miss Everard's parents must forever live with the knowledge that, just days before Couzens murdered their daughter, police had everything they needed to arrest him on suspicion of a crime that would have ended his career
telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/09/3…
telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/09/3…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
