UK - Wayne Couzens (convicted killer of Sarah Everard)

[Sleuthresearcher]

We assume it's where her family live in Kirovograd Mother-in-law of Sarah Everard murder suspect speaks out after arrest

 

[Sleuthresearcher]

It might be small potatoes — but any idea where in Ukraine he visited in 2017? I'm assuming either Odessa or one of the other Black Sea resort towns as they're popular with foreign tourists, but I'm curious to know more specifically.

We think Kirovograd, and we think he may have gone every year except for 2020 but we don't have hard evidence to support this

 

[Officer Dibble]

He bought the woodland area two years before killing Sarah, so I’d guess he bought it for the sole purpose of using it as a burial ground of his victims. Why else would he want to buy an area of woodland that is of no use to him? It’s possible he either took his victims there to rape them and then buried them elsewhere, or maybe did bury another body (or bodies) there or even near to there, so he could return for his kicks and souvenirs, as it were. So any missing women in those two years could be located there, probably burnt like he burned Sarah.

Of course, he may have murdered other women previously, too…

Has the entire woodland had specialist equipment over it to see if anything else buried?

 

[IspyWithMyBigEye]

Has the entire woodland had specialist equipment over it to see if anything else buried?

I haven’t read anything in the news to say that they have. My hunch is that they haven’t, but they have very recently, about a month ago, asked women to come forward who may have seen him flashing at them however many years ago. They also said they don’t believe Sarah was the first woman he’s raped, so it’s highly possible he has raped before and maybe even murdered.

 

[wcasewatch]

It's very possible that Everard was his first. You can see that he begins to go off the rails just before the killing w/ those indecent exposures. He also put a lot of planning into scoping out London and renting a car beforehand. It smacks of someone who is "new" to this sort of thing. There's no overconfidence. Although he was clearly a deviant who has always had these kind of fantasies, the stress and frustrations of the Covid situation may have tipped him over. If he did do something similar before, then I would guess that he also used a rental car.

 

[Bit of hope]

They are going to look into this. Everard inquiry to look at ‘red flags’ in Wayne Couzens’ policing career

 

[Telltale]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

From memory
The ones in Kent from a few years before was something like 'dude driving around town centre wanking' car could be linked to him, but complainant wasn't contactable after the initial call so they couldn't confirm details, a statement etc - even if Kent realised it was a officer (not garenteed as he was CNC then) easy to file as low level, unconfirmed details, no other calls, etc

Then there were a couple of reports of a bald white guy jumping out of the woods to wank at cyclists. Only identified by the victims years later when he was all over the news. Before that, they'd have a basic description, no CCTV, car, other witnesses, etc, if a search doesn't find him soon it was dead in the water.

Then was the ones of him wanking in a McDonalds drive thru like a week before the murder. They would have linked that to him without much trouble due to number plates/CCTV etc. However investigation has probably barely landed on someone's desk. Even as top priority, I doubt there was enough time to finish an investigation, or a justification to arrest/not bail him of they had.

<modsnip: off topic>

 

[wcasewatch]

<modsnip: Quoted post was removed>

Couzens spent at least a month travelling to London from Deal, Kent, where he lived, to research how best to carry out his crimes.

Several days before the attack, he booked a hire car, which he would use for the abduction, as well as a roll of self-adhesive film advertised as a carpet protector on Amazon.

Relatively speaking, that's a lot of planning. It obviously wasn't the perfect murder by any means (there is no such thing).

The planning, plus the sudden increase in indecent exposures in the lead-up, makes me somewhat doubtful that he killed before. I could be wrong, but that's just my take.

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

This post lands at random.

Rudeness and disrespect is not tolerated at any time at Websleuths, let alone in a thread approved by Trica (which this one is). If you don't like the thread, you don't have to read it. There are many threads at WS that must be more to your liking.

Also, any member who "Likes" an exceptionally rude post or thinks it is funny will receive a minimum 1 week Time Out from Websleuths.

Off topic posts that hijack the thread have also been removed. The thread is dedicated to research involving Wayne Couzens, not to discuss how cursing in the UK differs from that in the USA.

Post accordingly.

 

[Mr. Poirot]

Would like to know what the incident was in 2002-2004. I guess we can assume it was indecent exposure &/or rape or attempted rape.
How did the nickname come about? Was the nickname connected to the 2002-2004 incident?
If so, who in the local police force knew what happened during that incident & when did they know it?
That nickname says a lot. Somebody knows more information regarding his previous crimes.

I'm sure he would be connected to numerous cases of indecent exposure, strangulation &/or rape.
Maybe worth checking into cases of indecent exposure & rapes in Canterbury, Deal, Dover, Folkestone & Ashford areas.
He seems to prefer white women so I would look at cases involving white women only. Particularly cases where the women reported that the attacker identified himself as a police officer.

<modsnip: off topic>

Good luck with your investigation.

 

[Pinkizzy]

Couzens spent at least a month travelling to London from Deal, Kent, where he lived, to research how best to carry out his crimes.

Several days before the attack, he booked a hire car, which he would use for the abduction, as well as a roll of self-adhesive film advertised as a carpet protector on Amazon.

Relatively speaking, that's a lot of planning. It obviously wasn't the perfect murder by any means (there is no such thing).

The planning, plus the sudden increase in indecent exposures in the lead-up, makes me somewhat doubtful that he killed before. I could be wrong, but that's just my take.

His life was chaotic and wasn't he gambling and watching a lot of violent *advertiser censored* before the murder?

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

We've had to remove almost 50 off topic posts or comments.

As per the Opening Post of this thread, the purpose of this thread is to discuss other crimes Couzens may have committed (so, not to rehash cases that have already been solved).

Our focus is on other crimes we believe that Wayne Couzens may have committed. We want to investigate if – aside from Sarah Everard– there are other women he has targeted, and if he may have committed crimes against women in the UK, and potentially abroad – prior to the murder of Sarah.

We are interested in hearing from anyone who may have information about him or his activities.

Please stay on topic or your post will be removed.

Thank you.

 

[missingcatfinder]

I live in Kent (would say where but don't want to dox myself) and reported an indecent exposure (public masturbation) I witnessed to the police in 2017 or 18? The man was bald and in a rented van down a side street. I ran away and the guy drove after me and I ran to a busier road. I'm not sure it was him because I remember the man's face being more square-shaped. When I reported it to the police they recorded the incident but I don't think anything ever happened beyond that. Maybe it's already been checked if it could have been him since though.

 

[Teeniesmum]

Wayne Couzens pleads guilty to 3 counts of indecent exposure, link to Uk London Newspaper the Metro. Wayne Couzens pleads guilty to three counts of indecent exposure

 

[cottonweaver]

'The police watchdog is expected on Tuesday to announce a decision on any disciplinary action following the incidents involving Couzens before he murdered Everard.

In the earliest reported potential missed opportunity, in Dover in June 2015, Kent police were passed full details of a car that Couzens was alleged to have been using when a couple out with their two-year-old child saw a man exposing himself. Kent police took no action.

In a ruling from a pre-trial hearing, Mrs Justice May wrote: “The first offence dates from June 2015 when [name of witness] driving with his wife and two-year-old along London Road in Dover called in to Kent police to report a man in a car which they had just passed driving along with his erect penis exposed.

“[Name of witness] took the registration number of the car which he gave to police at the time. There appears to have been no further investigation.” Couzens pleaded not guilty to that charge.'

Clear chances missed to identify Wayne Couzens as danger to women

Police took no action after Couzens exposed himself three times before he went on to murder Sarah Everard

www.theguardian.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Wayne Couzens was on duty for the Metropolitan Police when he emerged naked from woodland and flashed a female cyclist four months before the murder of Sarah Everard.
Police are accused of missing a series of chances to stop Couzens, a firearms officer in the Met’s elite Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, before he kidnapped, raped, and killed Ms Everard in March 2021.

Couzens’s disturbing sexual behaviour was so well-known in some circles that some takeaway staff even nicknamed him ‘the penis guy’, court documents have revealed.

On Monday at the Old Bailey, Couzens admitted flashing takeaway staff in Kent twice in the days prior to the murder, using his own car and bankcard as he ordered food and drink.

His numberplate and bank details had been handed over to police on February 28, but Couzens was not identified in time to stop the killing of Ms Everard on March 3.

It can now be revealed that Couzens was supposed to be on duty when, on November 13, 2020, he brazenly flashed a female cyclist while masturbating at the roadside near to Deal in Kent.

“A man stepped out of the woodland, and stood on a bank above her”, prosecutors set out in a written submission to an early court appearance.

“She felt she had no choice but to continue cycling past him because of the road layout. There were no words exchanged between them.

Wayne Couzens on duty for Met when he flashed cyclist 4 months before Everard murder

It has emerged takeaway staff had a vile nickname for Couzens due to his disturbing behaviour

www.standard.co.uk

 

[cottonweaver]

<modsnip: quoted post was removed> Kent Police was his employer too -

why did KP take ‘no further action’ against Couzens re alleged indecent exposure in 2015? Why was that incident not flagged when he transferred to the Met?

One of the official reviews into Couzens which we're waiting on, is the Angiolini report. (First phase of the Sarah Everard inquiry will begin soon, chaired by Dame Elish Angiolini. Baroness Blackstock has asked the Home Sec that David Carrick be included in that inquiry.

I can't see the Home Sec agreeing to that although she alone has the powers ( under the Inquiries Act) to decide whether the inquiry can include other officers' predatory or criminal behaviour, not just control the scope by limiting it to Couzens. Here's another example of a case which could be included if Home Sec wants to broaden this out Met detective jailed for three years after spying on naked women

Anyway, Phase 1 of Angiolini - what it includes & doesn't is available online)

Specialist reporter Danny Shaw also provides some other links & questions incl the two bodies which had previously raise concerns:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1443713138013114368

re vetting

https://twitter.com/x/status/1615753530274373632

 

[cottonweaver]

'A former Metropolitan police officer is to face a gross misconduct hearing for allegedly failing to properly investigate indecent exposure allegations against Wayne Couzens, made days before he murdered Sarah Everard, the police watchdog has said.

The former Met officer is also facing claims over misleading testimony given to investigators and is one of two people to face action over alleged missed chances to identify Couzens as a suspected sex offender before he went looking for a woman to attack in March 2021. The Met said the constable resigned in 2022 while under investigation.

The IOPC also said an officer from Kent police would face a misconduct meeting over separate allegations relating to another alleged indecent exposure by Couzens

The Kent officer, a sergeant, was investigated over a 2015 incident when Couzens was alleged to have exposed himself in Dover. A man out driving with his partner and child saw another man in a car naked from the waist down. The man recorded the registration and passed it to Kent police. Couzens pleaded not guilty to that charge on Monday, which prosecutors decided to allow to lie on file.'
'

Police to hold two misconduct hearings over Wayne Couzens indecent exposure

A former and a current officer accused of failing to properly investigate claims against Couzens, who went on to murder Sarah Everard

www.theguardian.com

'

 

[Wakefield6042]

Kent Police was his employer too -

why did KP take ‘no further action’ against Couzens re alleged indecent exposure in 2015? Why was that incident not flagged when he transferred to the Met?

One of the official reviews into Couzens which we're waiting on, is the Angiolini report. (First phase of the Sarah Everard inquiry will begin soon, chaired by Dame Elish Angiolini. Baroness Blackstock has asked the Home Sec that David Carrick be included in that inquiry.

I can't see the Home Sec agreeing to that although she alone has the powers ( under the Inquiries Act) to decide whether the inquiry can include other officers' predatory or criminal behaviour, not just control the scope by limiting it to Couzens. Here's another example of a case which could be included if Home Sec wants to broaden this out Met detective jailed for three years after spying on naked women

Anyway, Phase 1 of Angiolini - what it includes & doesn't is available online)

Specialist reporter Danny Shaw also provides some other links & questions incl the two bodies which had previously raise concerns:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1443713138013114368

re vetting

https://twitter.com/x/status/1615753530274373632

Thank you Cottonweaver, this is very informative.

 

[ex-stat]

Honestly - and I'm sure you're already aware of this - in addition to the incredibly useful geographic region provided by a member in this thread which I love, I would look closely at the organisations and cultures surrounding them.

Canterbury - where did the army go on their nights out? Any assaults in nightclubs (sadly surprising how many of these don't get treated properly) or surrounding areas?

Where did people at Dungeness socialise? They obviously were aware of 'issues' (probably not the extent).

Honestly, as well as looking geographically I'd seek to look within certain organisations - which, as I'm sure you will already know, will be difficult.

As everyone knows - and I hesitate to write this because things have meant to be changed - there is a lot left to be done. There is a veneer of accountability provided by various organisations now but IMO a lot of women who are assaulted while working in these jobs do not go to outside agencies and back then it was horrific with regard to how assaults were often - but not always - dealt with.

If you are looking for sexual assaults and not murder I would look at: army, police, Sellafield and Dungeness, the Met. I doubt anyone is stupid enough to assault someone at an embassy but you never know. I would look at associated staff there (kitchens, housekeeping, anyone with less of a voice). I feel like earlier in his career there may be stuff there but... it will be difficult. I doubt many would want to talk. Maybe look for people who have left the job suddenly, transferred and so on but please respect that people may not want to talk. Aside from all of the usual reasons, there are a host of professional reasons and the surrounding press, plus there will be the whole 'if someone had spoken out, X would have been prevented' mindset which heaps blame on victims not the person to whom the ire should be directed.

I don't know if any of this is useful in any way but I just wanted to add something.
Good luck.