‘She spent her last hours with worst of humanity’

Sarah Everard’s family stood up in court and demanded Wayne Couzens looked at them as they told of their pain.

Her mother, Susan Everard, said: “Sarah is gone and I am brokenhearted. She was my precious little girl, our youngest child. The feeling of loss is so great it is visceral.

“And with the sorrow come waves of panic at not being able to see her again. I can never talk to her, never hold her again, and never more be a part of her life.

“She spent her last hours on this earth with the very worst of humanity. She lost her life because Wayne Couzens wanted to satisfy his perverted desires.

“It is a ridiculous reason, it is nonsensical; how could he value a human life so cheaply? I cannot comprehend it.

“I am incandescent with rage at the thought of it. He treated my daughter as if she was nothing and disposed of her as if she was rubbish.”

Mrs Everard said their lives will never be the same again, adding she “yearns” for Sarah.

“I remember all the lovely things about her: she was caring, she was funny,” she said.

“She was clever, but she was good at practical things too. She was a beautiful dancer. She was a wonderful daughter.

“And she was also a strongly principled young woman who knew right from wrong and who lived by those values.”

Sarah’s father, Jeremy Everard, addressed Couzens directly as he said: “The impact of what you have done will never end.

“The horrendous murder of my daughter, Sarah, is in my mind all the time and will be for the rest of my life.

“A father wants to look after his children and fix everything and you have deliberately and with premeditation stopped my ability to do that.

“You stopped us seeing Sarah for one last time and stopped me from giving my daughter one last kiss goodbye. All my family want is Sarah back with us.”

Sarah’s sister, Katie Everard, said: “We had to go to the flat and pack up Sarah’s whole life – washing left hanging up, half-sewn outfits, deliveries waiting to be returned, packages waiting at the door ready to be opened.

“All signs of a life waiting to be lived - chores to be done, ready for her to return and continue when she got home.

“But she never got home because a predator – you – was on the loose. Prowling the streets for hours looking for his prey.

“Her future no longer exists. The future I was supposed to live with my sister no longer exists. You have ruined so many lives.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Sarah’s family said they were “very pleased” that Couzens received a full life sentence.

They added: “Nothing can make things better, nothing can bring Sarah back, but knowing he will be imprisoned forever brings some relief.”