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flashing women days before the murder.
But perhaps the worst moment for the Commissioner was her officers’ heavyhanded policing of a vigil for the murdered woman at Clapham Common in South London. Photographs of protesting women being pinned down by arresting officers who cited Covid restrictions on gatherings were published around the world, sparking condemnation.
When Couzens was convicted, it was dubbed Scotland Yard’s ‘darkest day’. Dame Cressida stood outside the Old Bailey and humbly admitted the murder had corroded trust in the police and brought ‘shame’ on her force.
MURDER PHOTOS
In December last year, two Scotland Yard officers who took photos of the bodies of two murder victims were jailed. The sisters who died – Nicole Smallman, 27, and 46year-old Bibaa Henry, were black and there were accusations of racism. 2021 was also the force’s worst ever year for teenage killings, with 30 deaths.
CHARING CROSS
Earlier this month, details emerged of horrific messages exchanged by officers at Charing Cross police station, by an official watchdog report.
Some 14 officers were investigated as a result, with two found to have a case to answer for gross misconduct.
One was sacked and another resigned before he would have been dismissed. Another two had already left, while in some of the other cases the Independent Office of Police Conduct found ‘no further action should be taken’.
Incredibly, nine officers kept their jobs and two were promoted – but their sickening WhatsApp messages exposed an ongoing culture of racism, sexism and bullying.
It appears this sickening episode was the straw which finally broke the back. For, by the end, it was clear that confidence in the police chief had gone.
A FORMER close aide of the Queen is expected to become Downing Street’s new ‘gatekeeper’ in a bid to bring order to No 10.
Samantha Cohen, who worked as Her Majesty’s assistant private secretary for eight years, will control access to the Prime Minister in a role which has not been filled since David Cameron’s premiership.
The 50-year-old, nicknamed ‘Samantha the Panther’ due to her no-nonsense, professional approach, also acted as the Duchess of Sussex’s private secretary for 18 months to help prepare Meghan for royal life.
Mrs Cohen, who left the Palace in 2019 after 18 years there, will take over the management of the Prime Minister’s diary as the director of government relations.
Though no official announcement has
‘No-nonsense and professional’
been made, Mr Johnson is believed to have successfully poached her for the role.
Mrs Cohen, who was a journalist and civil servant in her native Australia before landing her first job in the Palace, will become the latest addition to No10’s revamped operation following Wednesday’s appointment of Samantha Jones as the most senior civil servant in No 10.
Former NHS nurse Mrs Jones, a top health adviser to Mr Johnson since last April, was part of an influx of fresh staff which includes Guto Harri and Steve Barclay.
Mr Johnson is attempting to revamp his team to address concerns laid bare by the Sue Gray report last week, which criticises ‘failures of leadership and judgment’ in No10. The ‘gatekeeper’ role was most recently held by Kate Fall, who also served as Mr Cameron’s deputy chief of staff. Sue Nye and Anji Hunter did the job under Gordon Brown and Tony Blair respectively.
The practice stopped under Theresa May, however, and Mr Johnson has gone without the role until now – which is seen by some as contributing to the chaos around him. It is not yet clear whether this is a political appointment or a civil service role.
The mother of three joined Buckingham Palace in 2001 as junior press officer. She was later head of communications, the Queen’s assistant private secretary and a top aide to Meghan. She left in October 2019 amid claims she had been ‘treated terribly’.
Mrs Cohen has since been the co-chairman of Cool Earth, a nonprofit organisation combating deforestation and climate change.
Since 2020, she has also been chief executive of the Commonwealth enterprise and investment council, which promotes trade across the 54 member nations.
Last year Mrs Cohen co-founded the Queen’s Green Canopy, a treeplanting initiative launched to mark the Platinum Jubilee.