Officer Naughty ‘rushed’ Couzens flashing case on day he murdered Sarah Everard
A FORMER Metropolitan Police officer who allegedly failed to investigate Wayne Couzens properly for indecent exposure on the day that he killed Sarah Everard, “rushed the job” and then lied about it “when she realised the stakes had escalated astronomically”, a disciplinary hearing has been told.
Samantha Lee was suspended and then resigned from the Met in 2022, after it emerged that she had set up an Onlyfans account entitled Officer Naughty. While serving, she had been the first responder, assigned to look into two reports that a man had flashed at female workers at a Mcdonald’s restaurant in Swanley, Kent, on Feb 14 and Feb 27 in 2021.
The incident was reported by Sam Taylor, the manager of the fast-food restaurant, on Feb 28 and Ms Lee was assigned to pay a visit to the scene of the crime three days later, between noon and 1pm on March 3.
Couzens abducted, raped and murdered Everard, 33, just hours after the investigation had been launched, as she walked home through south London.
At a police disciplinary hearing yesterday, it was alleged that Ms Lee failed to conduct the investigation thoroughly, including securing crucial CCTV footage, and then lying about her mistakes.
The hearing was told that Mr Taylor made a 999 call on Feb 28 and told police call handlers that a man had exposed himself twice to female staff, providing details of the car registration number and the credit card used by Couzen. The operator ran checks against the Police National Computer and confirmed that the registered keeper of the black Seat Exeo was a man called Wayne Couzens, who lived at an address in Kent.
Opening the case against her, Paul Ozin KC, representing the Metropolitan Police, said: “We suggest the work carried out by PC Lee was a rushed [ job].” Ms Lee denies the charges.
The hearing, due to last seven days, continues.