FYI Sleuthers: Under contempt of court laws in UK -- be advised sourced info will not be forthcoming until after the trial...
Sarah Everard murder case: What happens next?
12 March 2021
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Wayne Couzens will be taken to Westminster Magistrates' Court for his
first court appearance.
All such
proceedings start at the magistrate level, where a defendant confirms personal details such as their name, date of birth and where they live. Serious crimes, known as indictable offences, are always sent up to crown court.
The 48-year-old will then appear at crown court - most likely the Central Criminal Court in London, which is better known as
the Old Bailey.
A judge will listen to the background of the case and can grant or refuse bail - although it is extremely rare
for someone accused of murder to be granted bail. The judge will also set a date for a plea hearing and, should Mr Couzens plead not guilty, he will go on to be tried by a jury.
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Custody ahead of a trial carries a time limit which is currently eight months, but this can be reviewed, extended or cut by a judge.
There are protocols in place to expedite the most serious cases, both in the interests of public protection and management of dangerous offenders on remand.
Any trial could well take place this year, should it be fast-tracked.
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Particularly now there has been a charge in the case, people need to be especially cautious about what they post about it on social media.
Posts should not include comments claiming or implying that any suspect is guilty of an offence of which they have been accused, nor anything else that could prejudice a trial or impede the administration of justice.
This is because, according to
English law, everyone charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty and everyone has the right to a fair trial.
Criminal proceedings against Mr Couzens have been "active" since his arrest.
This means that under contempt of court laws, nothing should be published that could cause a substantial risk of seriously prejudicing or impeding the legal process, for example by influencing potential jurors.
[..]
As is usual, because one of its own has been arrested, the Met referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) as well as its in-house Directorate of Professional Standards.
[..]
Ms Everard's last known movements were at about 21:30 GMT on 3 March, shortly after she got off the phone to her boyfriend.
It took roughly
36 hours for police to make their initial appeal for information about the whereabouts of the marketing executive.
But the findings of investigations into the way the case was handled would not be made public until after any murder trial.
