The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Met PC accused of Sarah murder to go on trial
A police officer is due to go on trial in the autumn for the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard.
PC Wayne Couzens, 48, is accused of snatching the 33-yearold marketing executive as she walked home from a friend’s flat in Clapham, south London, on the evening of March 3.
Yesterday, the Metropolitan Police officer made his first appearance at the Old Bailey by video link from Belmarsh top security jail in south London.
Wearing a red sweatshirt and grey jogging bottoms, the defendant appeared to have a wound on his forehead.
He spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.
Members of Ms Everard’s family joined the hearing in court 10 of the Central Criminal Court by video link, according to court officials.
Judge Mark Lucraft QC set a provisional Old Bailey trial for October 25 with a plea hearing on July 9.
Couzens, who sat with his head bowed throughout the hearing, was remanded in custody.
Ms Everard was reported missing by her boyfriend on March 4.
Her body was found hidden in an area of woodland in Ashford, Kent, on March 10.
She was discovered inside a large builder’s bag and was formally identified through her dental records.
Indicative dates are conditional on supportive data.
Please refer to any relevant guidance.
All restrictions will be kept under review to ensure that they remain proportionate and necessary to address the ongoing public health emergency. This graphic is for reference purposes only and may be adjusted. Regulations in relation to each level will be published on legislation. gov.uk and relevant public health advice (such as physical distancing and enhanced hygiene measures) applies. Find relevant guidance on: gov.scot/coronavirus.
12 – 15 MARCH
Up to 4 adults from up to 2 households may socialise outdoors. Four 12 to 17-year-olds from up to 4 households may socialise outdoors. Non-contact outdoor group sport/ exercise permitted in groups of up to 15 people (for both adults and 12 to 17-year-olds). 12 to 17-yearolds can also take part in other organised activities in groups up to 15. Travel across local boundaries to participate allowed. Return of remaining primary school pupils and senior secondary school pupils part-time.
26 MARCH
Communal worship can take place in a place of worship with up to a maximum of 50 people.
2 APRIL
Stay at home measures become stay local – travel within local authority for a non-essential purpose.
5 APRIL
More retailers and click and collect permitted to open. More university and college students to return to in-person teaching. Hairdressers and barbers can reopen (appointment only). Outdoor contact sports for 12 to 17-yearolds resume.
12 – 19 APRIL
All pupils back at school full-time.
26 APRIL
Up to 6 people from up to 3 households can socialise outdoors. Six 12 to 17-yearolds from 6 households can meet outdoors. Travel within mainland Scotland allowed. Up to 4 people from 2 households can socialise indoors in a public place such as a cafe or restaurant. All shops, stores and close contact services can open. Hospitality venues like cafes, pubs and restaurants can open until: 8pm indoors (no alcohol), 10pm outdoors (alcohol permitted). Non-essential in-house work permitted. Tourist accommodation can open with restrictions in place. Driving lessons and tests can take place. Funerals and weddings including post-funeral events and receptions can take place with up to 50 people (no alcohol). Gyms can open for individual exercise – numbers extended, subject to capacity constraints. Indoor attractions and public buildings such as galleries, museums and libraries can open. Takeaway food can be collected indoors.
17 MAY
Up to 4 people from 2 households can socialise indoors in a private home or public space. Hospitality venues can open until: 10.30pm indoors (alcohol permitted, 2 hour dwell time), 10.00pm outdoors (alcohol permitted). Outdoor adult contact sport and indoor group exercise can restart. Cinemas, amusement arcades, and bingo halls can open. Small-scale outdoor and indoor events can resume subject to capacity constraints. Faceto-face support services (where not possible to deliver remotely) can resume. Universities and colleges can return to a more blended model of learning. Non-professional performance arts can resume outdoors.
Communal worship open, subject to capacity constraints.
EARLY JUNE
Up to 6 people from up to 3 households can socialise indoors in a home or public place. Up to 8 people from 3 households can socialise outdoors. Eight 12 to 17-year-olds can meet socially from 8 households outdoors. Hospitality can remain open until 11pm. Attendance at events can increase numbers subject to capacity constraints. Indoor non-contact sport can take place. Increased numbers at life events and places of worship subject to stakeholder engagement.
Source: gov.scot/coronaviruscovid-19/
moves to unwind a number of the elevated lockdown restrictions which were implemented at the turn of the year,” he said.
Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said the announcement was a “good start” but added there is “still a lot of work to be done to plan for the reopening of the remaining sectors of the economy”.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar welcomed the news that businesses will receive additional funding but stressed this lockdown must be the country’s last.
He called for more backing for firms to recover, saying that “transitional support must be available over the longer term to avoid businesses having to close”.
Meanwhile, Scottish Conservative Holyrood leader Ruth Davidson urged the first minister to improve or speed up a series of measures on behalf of women.
These include a quicker reopening of supervised places for exercise such as gyms; greater access for partners during pregnancy treatment and trialling of home smear tests for cervical cancer; and an increase in high court trials.
“Women across Scotland have shared the same feelings of shock and anger over the murder of Sarah Everard in London,” Ms Davidson said. “There are changes that Nicola Sturgeon could make now to make things better.”