I've just reread the sentencing remarks for Wayne Couzens. I totally forgot that he came up with the ridiculous story of the Balkan gangsters who forced him to abduct women! What a hideous specimen he was. Anyway, my takeaway from the remarks was this from paragraph 19:
In my judgment, the misuse of a police officer’s role such as occurred in this case in order to kidnap, rape and murder a lone victim is of equal seriousness as a murder carried out for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause. All of these situations attack different aspects of the fundamental underpinnings of our democratic way of life. It is this vital factor which in my view makes the seriousness of this case exceptionally high.
IMO this could be used to argue a whole life tariff for Cashman - the drug-dealing, gangster lifestyle attacking the fundamental underpinnings of society.
In my judgment, the misuse of a police officer’s role such as occurred in this case in order to kidnap, rape and murder a lone victim is of equal seriousness as a murder carried out for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause. All of these situations attack different aspects of the fundamental underpinnings of our democratic way of life. It is this vital factor which in my view makes the seriousness of this case exceptionally high.
IMO this could be used to argue a whole life tariff for Cashman - the drug-dealing, gangster lifestyle attacking the fundamental underpinnings of society.