Sarah Everard’s killer Wayne Couzens admits indecent exposure

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Wayne Couzens has admitted three counts of indecent exposure before he abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard.

The former Metropolitan Police officer, 49, pleaded guilty on Monday to three counts of indecent exposure in Kent between November 2020 and February 2021.

They took place in woodland and a fast food restaurant.

He entered the pleas at the Old Bailey by video link from Frankland jail, where he is serving a whole-life sentence for the murder of Ms Everard, 33, in March 2021.

Couzens had a long grey beard and wore a grey tracksuit.

On November 13 2020, he stepped out of a woodland in Deal, Kent, naked and masturbated as a woman cycled past.

Detailing the case, Mrs Justice May said: “She was scared and shaken, and could do nothing but cycle past, up the hill, as fast as she was able.”

She noticed a black car parked 50m further on and recalled a partial number plate.

She warned away some walkers before calling her husband to tell him what had happened at about 1.40pm.

Traffic cameras and cell site data located Couzens in his Seat in that country area at that time.

A few months later, on different occasions on February 14 and 27 2021, Couzens exposed his genitals to staff at a drive-in fast food restaurant in Kent.

He is said to have looked straight at them sat in his car, showing his erect penis, while handing his card to pay for food.

The senior judge said: “The female staff were shaken, upset and angry.”

On the last occasion, staff took a registration number and identified the car from CCTV as a black Seat which was registered to Couzens.

A credit card in his name was used to pay while ANPR and cell site data was used to track the defendant’s car in the area at the time of the incidents.

Couzens also pleaded not guilty to three indecent exposure charge relating to an alleged incident in June 2015, one between January 22 and February 1 2021, and one between January 30 and February 6 2021.

He will not face trial over these charges as they were left on file.

Jim Sturman KC, defending, had previously argued Couzens could not receive a “fair trial” due to previous publicity about him.

On November 1 2022, he said media reports about Couzens “seeps into the public consciousness” and would prejudice a jury.

He will be sentenced on March 6.

In March 2021, while a serving Metropolitan Police officer, Couzens snatched marketing executive Ms Everard as she walked home in south London.

An independent inquiry led by Dame Elish Angiolini is looking at the murder and will consider the exposure incidents as part of an analysis of whether any opportunities to prevent it were missed.