SARAH: GRIM FIND AS COP IS ARRESTED
HUMAN REMAINS DISCOVERED IN WOODS PC, 48, HELD ON SUSPICION OF MURDER
THE remains of missing Sarah Everard were believed to have been found in woodland last night – hours after a serving police officer was arrested on suspicion of her kidnap and murder.
Father-of-two PC Wayne Couzens, 48 – an armed diplomatic protection officer in Westminster – was held at his home in Kent on Tuesday night.
A woman in her 30s – thought to be Couzens’s wife – was also arrested, on suspicion of assisting an offender.
The Met police revealed the policeman was also being held on a separate allegation of indecent exposure. Last night, Met commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said officers ‘have found, very sadly, what appears to be human remains’ in the Kent countryside.
She added: ‘I speak on behalf of all my colleagues in the Met when I say we are utterly appalled at this dreadful news.’
Marketing executive Ms Everard, 33, vanished near
Clapham Common at 9.30pm as she walked home to Brixton after seeing a friend on March 3.
On Tuesday evening, police cordoned off a block of flats near where the last CCTV footage of her was captured.
But, yesterday, the search moved 80 miles away to Kent, hours after the arrest of the Couzens at their home in the seaside town of Deal.
Forensics teams searched the couple’s house in Freemens Way, as a metal screen was put up and a forensics tent was placed by the front door.
Matt Mullan, 29, who lives nearby, said: ‘There were police cars outside all night. I thought this is a bit strange, not normal for round here.
‘About 8pm to 9pm, there was heavy traffic out there and there have been police cars outside all morning.
‘It’s very surprising – definitely not what you expect to see.’
Police officers with specially trained dogs searched nearby farm buildings, woodland near Betteshanger Park, two miles away, and the former Great Chart Golf and Leisure complex 30 miles away near Ashford.
The centre – which offered golf, archery and paintball events – closed unexpectedly two years ago and is due to be developed for homes.
Last night, Dame Cressida said in a statement: ‘I want to start by saying that my thoughts and prayers are with Sarah Everard’s family and her friends at this very difficult and painful time.
‘As you are aware, a man has been arrested on suspicion of her murder.
‘This evening detectives and search teams investigating Sarah’s disappearance have found, very sadly, what appears to be human remains.
‘The discovery was made in an area of woodland in Ashford, Kent.
‘As you can imagine, at this early stage we are not able to confirm any identity and indeed this may take us some time.
‘Specialist officers have been with Sarah’s family to update them on the investigation and to continue to support them as best we possibly can.’
She added: ‘The news today that it was a Metropolitan Police officer arrested on suspicion of Sarah’s murder has sent waves of shock and anger through the public and through the whole of the Met. I speak on behalf of all my colleagues when I say we are utterly appalled at this dreadful news. Our job is to patrol the streets and to protect people.’
She said hundreds of officers and staff were working round the clock on the ‘large, fast-moving and very determined’ operation and that the disappearance ‘in these awful and wicked circumstances is every family’s worst nightmare’.
Dame Cressida said that women would be especially worried but reassured them abduction was ‘incredibly rare’, adding: ‘I completely understand that, despite this, women in London and the wider public – particularly those in the area where Sarah went missing – may well be feeling scared. You should expect to see continued high levels of police patrols in that area as well as very significant investigative activity.
‘Again my thoughts are with Sarah, her family and her loved ones.’
London mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted last night: ‘My heart goes out to Sarah’s family and friends who will be suffering unspeakable grief.’
Earlier, Asst Comm Nick Ephgrave, of the Met, had announced the arrest saying: ‘The fact that the man who has been arrested is a serving Met police officer is both shocking and deeply disturbing.’