Sarah killer’s self-pitying display to fellow officers
KILLER Wayne Couzens was more concerned with complaining about his own mental health than helping detectives discover what had happened to his victim Sarah Everard, custody footage has revealed.
The police officer who kidnapped, raped and murdered the 33-year-old marketing executive was filmed writhing about in his custody suite after self-harming his forehead which is covered by a white bandage.
It is thought he had either headbutted a wall or piece of furniture after being arrested. The killer, who was being held at Wandsworth police station in London, rocks from side to side while being quizzed about Sarah, inset, and moans in a bout of self-pity that he is in “a dark place”.
Trust
Having been deemed medically fit to be interviewed, the camera captures the sex monster sitting hunched behind a protective screen with the sleeves of his jumper rolled over his hands, in footage shown in the BBC documentary Sarah Everard: The Search for Justice.
During the interview Couzens, now
51, is shown a picture of the woman he abducted eight days earlier from a south London street after using his warrant card to earn her trust.
He stares at the image and leans forwards as it is held up against the screen as a female detective asks him if he recognises the person in the picture. Couzens then shuts his eyes and rocks from side to side and replies “no comment” when asked who the photograph depicts.
He gives the same reply when asked if he had used his warrant card to lure her into his hired car.
The interviewer continues: “People trust us to look after them. People trust us to help them. Protect and serve, that’s what they say.We all took that oath. You included.”
Sarah’s family do not feature in the documentary but gave it their blessing. Former detective Nick Harvey told how he only learned Couzens was a colleague as he sat waiting to knock on the door of the killer’s home in Deal, Kent.
The detective inspector arrived at 5.45pm but did not get the green light until two hours later. During this time Couzens is believed to have spotted their car and erased his mobile’s data.
Scotland Yard said it could not reveal why there was a delay for “operational reasons”. Couzens was given a rare whole-life sentence for the rape and murder of Sarah. It means he will die in prison.