GUILTY UK - Sarah Everard, 33, London, Clapham Common area, 3 Mar 2021 *Life sentence* #16

[Stella123]

I have no belief in the view that he intended to kidnap and rape but not to kill. To prowl London looking for your victim, to lure her miles away under false pretences, having purchased tarpaulin, under what circumstances would he intend to release his victim? The plan had to be murder from the start. If he let her go he would have easily been identified. He showed Sarah his warrant card.

Agree. Premeditated. We can't fathom the mind and why he would do such a thing because we're normal. He did it because he wanted to. I still think he was arrogant enough to think no-one would trace it to him or find her. And if it hadn't been for the buscam and cctv that may well have been the case. Otherwise who would think of looking outside London?

 

[Stella123]

DBM Double posted

 

[kittythehare]

Taking his wife and children to the scene of the body is beyond sick in the head. How can you as a child or a child who becomes an adult ever trust a man again after knowing your father did that to you? He must have such little regard for humans and humans lives. No empathy with anyone. JMO MOO.

I reckon it could have been because he wanted a reason for being there on the future occasions when he made visits.. could state truthfully that he'd lost his watch or something while visiting with his family a few days beforehand, his family would confirm they had all been there... he has an excuse.

 

[Stella123]

All my opinion, but I don’t think WC subconsciously wanted to be caught or his life was falling apart and he got into a frenzy. I think instead, he had built himself up in his own arrogance to think he could get away with this. He felt powerful doing this, not out of control. That’s what his actions say to me.

I suspect he has got away with other crimes too more than those he’s been accused of, although perhaps not murder before now. But I do think victims more on the edges of society than Sarah, who would attract less publicity, are a possibility and can’t be ruled out. The way Couzens committed this murder was amateurish, but I don’t think that discounts past victims entirely, women who would be sadly less missed or noticed than poor Sarah, and perhaps more impulsive / crime of opportunity killings than this, which was shockingly premeditated.

This whole case has been on my mind all day. So sad and disturbing.

Agree. Like so many arrogant people who have power to abuse, he felt he was above the law JMO and wouldn't get caught. After all he drove her well away from London. His colleagues would have thought he was at home on leave, his wife thought he was at work. He might have got away with it but for the buscam and cctv of the numberplate.

 

[Supernovae]

Mr Little says that the murder of Sarah Everard justifies a sentence in which Wayne Couzens would never be released from prison.

He argued on behalf of the CPS that it does meet the high seriousness threshold because "of the nature of the kidnap and from then on the use of his position as a constable".

The timing and the circumstances of Couzens being a police officer and his use of warrant cards to arrest Miss Everard was aggravating, Mr Little argued.

Had he not been a police officer, Miss Everard would not have got in the car, the CPS say. And having taken the police oath, the seriousness threshold is reached.

Mr Little, addressing Lord Justice Fulford, said: "Then the guilty plea and any other mitigation does or does not cause this to become a borderline case as oppose to a non-borderline case."

Arguing that it pushes beyond the borderline, he said there were a number of aggravating factors, including that he used his position of a serving police officer using his knowledge and equipment.

He also pointed out the significant planning and premeditation of the hire car, plastic sheeting and moving items to London as further aggravating factors

The judge sentencing Wayne Couzens asked the Crown Prosecution Service what the circumstances were surrounding the murder of MP Jo Cox.

Thomas Mair was jailed on a whole-life tariff for killing the MP.

Lord asked Mr Little QC for a summary on how the judge in that case was able to pass a full-life sentence.

The lawyer pointed out he was junior counsel in the trial, and said this was due to it being a "politically-motivated murder" involving a knife and a firearm.

He added: "It was a firearm that a farmer might use to shoot vermin rather than necessarily a weapon you'd expect to find in a murder case."

But Mr Little said: "The primary reason was - she was an MP, outside her surgery in Batley and was attacked outside in the street."

Sarah Everard murder: Wayne Couzens 'may have abused lockdown powers to arrest and kidnap victim'


That's it for today. Defence tomorrow, brace yourselves

This is the problem, it doesn't really fall under any of the bullet points for a whole life sentence.

Life sentences – Sentencing

Mandatory life sentences
Parliament has decided that judges must give a life sentence to all offenders found guilty of murder. The judge will set a minimum term an offender must serve before they can be considered for release by the Parole Board.

The minimum term for murder is based on the starting points set out in Schedule 21 of the Sentencing Code. The schedule sets out examples of the different types of cases and the starting point that would usually be applied. For example, where a murder is committed with a knife or other weapon which the offender took to the scene intending to commit an offence, the starting point for the minimum term would be 25 years.

...

Whole life order
For the most serious cases of murder, an offender may be sentenced to a life sentence with a ‘whole life order.’ This means that their crime was so serious that they will never be released from prison.

As of 30 June 2020 there were 63 whole-life prisoners and an additional three life prisoners being treated in secure hospitals. The list of offenders with a whole-life term includes serial killers Rosemary West and Levi Bellfield. (Statistics taken from the Ministry of Justice’s offender management statistics publications.)

Sentencing - Mandatory life sentences in Murder cases | The Crown Prosecution Service

Where the offender is 21 or over at the time of the offence and the court takes the view that the murder is so grave that the offender should spend the rest of their life in prison, a 'whole life order' is the appropriate starting point. The early release provisions in section 28 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 will then not apply. Such an order should only be specified where the court considers that the seriousness of the offence is exceptionally high. Such cases include:

a) the murder of two or more persons where each murder involves a substantial degree of premeditation, the abduction of the victim, or sexual or sadistic conduct;
b) the murder of a child if involving the abduction of the child or sexual or sadistic motivation;
c) a murder done for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause; or
d) a murder by an offender previously convicted of murder.

Where the offence is not so serious as to warrant a whole life order but the seriousness of the offence is particularly high the appropriate starting point is 30 years. The following examples are given:

a) the murder of a police or prison officer in the course of his duty;
b) a murder involving the use of a firearm or explosive;
c) a murder done for gain (in the course of a robbery or burglary, or done for payment);
d) a murder intended to obstruct or interfere with the course of justice;
e) a murder involving sexual or sadistic conduct;
f) the murder of two or more persons; or
g) a murder that is racially or religiously aggravated or aggravated by sexual orientation.

It looks to me like a starting point of 30 years (point e), with an uplift for all the aggravating factors, maybe to 40-45 years. Hopefully given that he's already 48 that will amount to the same thing.

 

[ChuckieD]

Sarah's murder feels quite personal to me. I grew up in that area. My mum and her sisters were raised on Clapham Park Estate, my aunt stayed there so I spent every weekend and school holiday with my cousins right there. My aunt lived on Forster Road. I spent so, so much time in Agnes Riley gardens, I knew Clapham Park Estate, New Park Road, Atkins, Clarence, Brixton like the back of my hand. I felt ripped out that this had happened. For me, this was personal. That was my safe place, albeit being probably deemed one of the most dangerous places in London in the 80/90s. Shootings, stabbings, robberies, drug crime, poverty? Yes, in abundance. Lone women ripped off the street? Nah. I cannot tell you how much I love that area and how hard punched in the stomach I felt when I realised just how well I know the place that this horrific situation occurred.

I am catching up with proceedings from today. My mum said the impact statements are hard to read.

That all said, does it really warrant a whole life order? Please don't shoot me down, I am asking genuinely, I would happily see anybody guilty of these murders be sentenced a whole lifer but that's not reality. So what would be the reason for this case? Even Huntley wasn't given a whole life order. Is he paying also for his colleagues failings?

 

[Stella123]

Hi Stella
I was wrong on the fridge. I'd seen the footage of the searchers near the fridge and thought that might be THE fridge, but I don't think it was because they've published the picture of the fridge now, and it doesn't look the same

Ok. I'm still not sure what THE fridge was. Was there a fridge earlier in the threads?

 

[terabethia]

Ok. I'm still not sure what THE fridge was. Was there a fridge earlier in the threads?

Photo of fridge in this article. It's hard to look at. Telegraph paywall removed for this article. Sarah Everard murder: Wayne Couzens 'may have abused lockdown powers to arrest and kidnap victim'

 

[Stella123]

Would hiring a car something that he did regularly I wonder? Driving a considerable distance, looking for sex workers?

You would think they would have looked into his spending records and purchases historically to see if he'd been in the habit of hiring cars or buying hair bands and "gel" - ie rape kit stuff. Maybe they have found more but the sentencing hearing is only about this case. What would happen if, after sentenced, they then found more victims?

 

[ChuckieD]

This is the problem, it doesn't really fall under any of the bullet points for a whole life sentence.

Thank you, I am glad somebody else has addressed it. As much as we would all love to see him never walk the streets (I don't think he ever will with or without a whole life order) it just doesn't fit the criteria.

 

[Stella123]

I see using sex workers, depending on what his particular preferences were as a separate thing to the indecent exposures and the rape and murder.
Rape is always a crime of violence. It may bring sexual gratification but it's usually brutal, not something he could pay for on a regular basis because the street women would put the word out.
I very much doubt he would pay for escorts or be drawn to them.
I'd be surprised if the women he was known to frequent were not interviewed.

I think it was the telegraph said he'd been messaging an "escort".

 

[JayWill]

Sarah's murder feels quite personal to me. I grew up in that area. My mum and her sisters were raised on Clapham Park Estate, my aunt stayed there so I spent every weekend and school holiday with my cousins right there. My aunt lived on Forster Road. I spent so, so much time in Agnes Riley gardens, I knew Clapham Park Estate, New Park Road, Atkins, Clarence, Brixton like the back of my hand. I felt ripped out that this had happened. For me, this was personal. That was my safe place, albeit being probably deemed one of the most dangerous places in London in the 80/90s. Shootings, stabbings, robberies, drug crime, poverty? Yes, in abundance. Lone women ripped off the street? Nah. I cannot tell you how much I love that area and how hard punched in the stomach I felt when I realised just how well I know the place that this horrific situation occurred.

I am catching up with proceedings from today. My mum said the impact statements are hard to read.

That all said, does it really warrant a whole life order? Please don't shoot me down, I am asking genuinely, I would happily see anybody guilty of these murders be sentenced a whole lifer but that's not reality. So what would be the reason for this case? Even Huntley wasn't given a whole life order. Is he paying also for his colleagues failings?

Huntley was not a policeman in a special role of trust, though was he? The fact that he used his warrant card, to force her into the car is an aggravating factor IMO.

 

[Whitehall 1212]

Perhaps it adds a bit of an explainable excuse while at the same time allowing him to check on the crime scene?

My thoughts are that he may have wanted to have a reason for soil samples from the deposition site being on/in/under the car/wheels etc. This leads to the additionally sickening thought that his motive for purchasing the woodland was for just such a purpose.

 

[kittythehare]

I think it was the telegraph said he'd been messaging an "escort".

In early February 2021, the defendant was in contact with an escort with username "escourtbabygirl" through the Adult Work Escort Service.

Sarah Everard murder: Wayne Couzens 'may have abused lockdown powers to arrest and kidnap victim'

 

[Rusty Braincells]

Sarah's murder feels quite personal to me. I grew up in that area. My mum and her sisters were raised on Clapham Park Estate, my aunt stayed there so I spent every weekend and school holiday with my cousins right there. My aunt lived on Forster Road. I spent so, so much time in Agnes Riley gardens, I knew Clapham Park Estate, New Park Road, Atkins, Clarence, Brixton like the back of my hand. I felt ripped out that this had happened. For me, this was personal. That was my safe place, albeit being probably deemed one of the most dangerous places in London in the 80/90s. Shootings, stabbings, robberies, drug crime, poverty? Yes, in abundance. Lone women ripped off the street? Nah. I cannot tell you how much I love that area and how hard punched in the stomach I felt when I realised just how well I know the place that this horrific situation occurred.

I am catching up with proceedings from today. My mum said the impact statements are hard to read.

That all said, does it really warrant a whole life order? Please don't shoot me down, I am asking genuinely, I would happily see anybody guilty of these murders be sentenced a whole lifer but that's not reality. So what would be the reason for this case? Even Huntley wasn't given a whole life order. Is he paying also for his colleagues failings?

The murder of a member of the public by a deceptive police officer abusing their position is absolutely unique in the UK as far as I know, and the clear sexual sadism elements of the offence are relevant to sentencing. The case is so aberrant, disgusting and shocking that I think a whole life sentence must be handed down to reassure some level of trust in the system.

But I do think Couzens will instead get something like a 35-38 year minimum. I would love to be wrong.

In my opinion, Huntley should have received a whole life sentence too. It is kind-boggling if you think our system says eventually it might be okay to let him out.

There are precedents for whole life sentences for a single murder, Jamie Reynolds for Georgia Williams is the best example I can think of as not involving a child victim such as Anwar Rosser although Georgia Williams was very young. But Reynolds was young too. It is recognised that a whole life sentence weighs more heavily on a younger person who of course can expect to be imprisoned longer, but Reynolds got it and lost his appeal.

Frankly, any sexually-motivated murder with abduction and the sort of facts this case has should be whole life anyway without the point being debatable. I hope we will get to that point in the criminal justice system.

 

[Stella123]

In early February 2021, the defendant was in contact with an escort with username "escourtbabygirl" through the Adult Work Escort Service.

Sarah Everard murder: Wayne Couzens 'may have abused lockdown powers to arrest and kidnap victim'

Thanks Kitty - yes that's the bit I meant

 

[Rusty Braincells]

Thank you, I am glad somebody else has addressed it. As much as we would all love to see him never walk the streets (I don't think he ever will with or without a whole life order) it just doesn't fit the criteria.

The criteria are not exhaustive and several convicted murderers have received life sentences without meeting any of the examples given. The point is that the offence has to be considered sufficiently serious. The criteria given help tip the balance but a whole life sentence can be given without any of them. I have cited Jamie Reynolds above and will check other examples.

 

[Seattle1]

As he'd recently been on Covid patrol duty as well, since Jan wasn't it? He probably got the idea then - stop a lone woman pretending he was on covid duty. After reading the other stuff a while back about him deliberately watching a woman's house after an incident.

I think CW is both a predator and an opportunist where the unprecedented circumstances of COVID presented a unique opportunity for his evil thoughts to be carried out.

The 5 min video linked below by GB News editor Mark White provides details from the court hearing where WC had a finger injury that caused him to be assigned to special, pandemic lockdown detail.

Whether or not his legitimate on-duty hours allowed him to patrol the streets as a single enforcer the same way he falsely carried on during his off-patrol hours are unknown but no doubt he was still able to convince a smart woman that he was enforcing a legitimate statute and stop.

As to the horrific details, a tragic day for families, LE, and citizens alike. Justice for Sarah cannot happen fast enough.

https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1443162364380131334

 

[Cherwell]

This is the problem, it doesn't really fall under any of the bullet points for a whole life sentence.
Life sentences – Sentencing
Sentencing - Mandatory life sentences in Murder cases | The Crown Prosecution Service
It looks to me like a starting point of 30 years (point e), with an uplift for all the aggravating factors, maybe to 40-45 years. Hopefully given that he's already 48 that will amount to the same thing.

But .....

8. Detailed consideration of aggravating or mitigating factors may result in a minimum term of any length (whatever the starting point), or in the making of a whole life order.

9. Aggravating factors (additional to those mentioned in paragraphs 2(2), 3(2) and 4(2)) that may be relevant to the offence of murder include—

(a) a significant degree of planning or premeditation,

(b) the fact that the victim was particularly vulnerable because of age or disability,

(c) mental or physical suffering inflicted on the victim before death,

(d) the abuse of a position of trust,

(e) the use of duress or threats against another person to facilitate the commission of the offence,

(f) the fact that victim was providing a public service or performing a public duty, and

(g) concealment, destruction or dismemberment of the body.

 

[Seattle1]

Taking his wife and children to the scene of the body is beyond sick in the head. How can you as a child or a child who becomes an adult ever trust a man again after knowing your father did that to you? He must have such little regard for humans and humans lives. No empathy with anyone. JMO MOO.

^^bbm
No child deserves this life sentence and I trust that these innocent children have been receiving professional help and will continue to receive counseling for as long as necessary to learn and understand that their father's mind is deeply disturbed and not typical behavior of any male or female for that matter -- let alone one's father and/or mother.