British police murdered Sarah Everard after falsely detaining her for breaking confinement

A British police officer abducted a woman while walking home at night and handcuffed her in a false arrest for having violated the coronavirus lockdown, before raping and murdering her, the prosecution said Wednesday. The disappearance of Londoner Sarah Everard, 33, during confinement in March shocked the United Kingdom, sparked protests and sparked a heated debate about the safety of women on the streets.

Wayne Couzens, 48, an officer in the elite diplomatic protection unit of the United States police London, admitted his kidnapping, rape and murder in July.

Everard, who was returning home on March 3 after visiting friends in South London, was strangled and burned. His remains were found in a forest a week later.

In the first of two days of hearings, prosecutor Tom Little explained how the police officer detained the young woman and accused her of breaking the restrictions, which then prohibited meetings in the homes of others.

Couzens, who was off duty, kidnapped Everard in a “false arrest”, “handcuffing her and showing her his credential,” he said.

Street security camera footage showed this scene. A couple passing by in a car was also a witness and assumed that an undercover police officer was making an arrest, the prosecutor said.

Couzens’ sentence, which provokes strong expectations, should be known on Thursday.