An independent probe has been launched into the Met’s response to a report of “incident exposure” by Sarah Everard’s suspected murderer, who continued working for days after the alleged incident, the Daily Mail reported.
Wayne Couzens, 48, who is suspected of kidnapping and killing Everard, reportedly exposed himself at one of London’s fast-food places on 28 February to a separate unnamed victim, just three days before Sarah went missing.
It is understood that Couzens then continued working as a guard at diplomatic buildings for the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection, as the allegations had not apparently reached the “command level” at that time, one source suggests to Daily Mail.
The cop was also reportedly working at the US embassy on 3 March. The building is located several kilometres from the place where Everard was last seen at 9.30pm. Couzens is believed to have completed his shift at 8pm.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed to the Daily Mail that the investigation has been launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) to determine whether the Met responded “appropriately” to a report about indecent exposure by a serving officer.
The investigation was launched after a conduct referral by the Met, among four other referrals linked to Couzens’ behaviour and Sarah Everard’s disappearance, the IOPC explained.
“They are all connected to the arrest of a serving MPS officer on suspicion of kidnap, murder and a separate allegation of indecent exposure,” the watchdog clarified in a statement.
Couzens was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of kidnapping and was re-arrested the next day charged with murder and indecent exposure.
The IOPC also revealed that it has received another referral over Couzens’s apparent head injury which he received while in custody. It’s not clear what caused the trauma but the suspect was taken to hospital on Thursday after the incident. The man has now returned to custody.
Sarah Everard, originally from York, went missing on 3 March. She was last spotted in Clapham, south London, while walking home from a friend’s house. Human remains were later found in Kent. On Friday, police confirmed that they belong to the woman.