Police officer accused of kidnapping and murdering Sarah Everard appears in court with a black eye - as it emerges he finished his shift in the morning on the day she disappeared
- Wayne Couzens has been charged with the murder and kidnap of Miss Everard
- Old Bailey heard today he finished work on the morning of her disappearance
- Her body was found inside a builder's bag and identified through dental records
- Miss Everard vanished on March 3 after leaving a friend's house in Clapham
A police officer charged with the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard finished work in London at least nine hours before she went missing, a court has heard.
Details on Diplomatic Protection Officer Wayne Couzens, 48, and his shift pattern were disclosed at his first Old Bailey appearance this morning.
Couzens, who had a large injury on his head and black left eye, appeared to rock to and fro during the hearing.
It was told he faced a trial of up to four weeks, which has been pencilled in for the start of October.
He is accused of snatching the 33-year-old marketing executive as she walked home from a friend's flat in Clapham, south London, on the evening of March 3.
Prosecutor Tom Little, QC, told the court: 'There's been a very significant and wide-ranging investigation.
'The position is that Sarah Everard was walking home a distance of some two and a half miles - if she had made it home - at 9 o'clock on the evening of March 3.
'The defendant had finished his last shift earlier that day, in fact that morning.'
The prosecutor said the case has received 'almost unprecedented media and public attention.'
Couzens appeared via video link for the hearing today, wearing a red sweatshirt and grey jogging bottoms.
He spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth at the hearing, before the Recorder of London Judge Mark Lucraft QC.
Couzens appeared to have a left black eye as he appeared by videolink to the Old Bailey
Ms Everard's murder and Couzens' arrest has sparked vigils across the country in her memory
Judge Luckraft said a plea hearing would be held on July 9 at the Old Bailey and a provisional date for a trial - which could last up to four weeks - was set for October 25. Couzens kept his head bowed for the proceedings.
Ms Everard's boyfriend reported Sarah missing on March 4 and her body was found hidden in an area of woodland in Ashford, Kent, on March 10.
She was discovered in a large builder's bag and was formally identified through her dental records.
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A post-mortem examination has taken place but no cause of death has yet been given.
It comes as police investigating the murder have begun a second day searching in Sandwich, Kent, for her missing mobile phone - this time in the network of drains below the town.
Forensic officers and police divers first arrived in the tourist spot yesterday and took away a gold necklace for evaluation as they scoured the nearby Delf Stream.
A diving officer looks through something found on the bottom of the Delf Stream in Kent
The police crew were in discussion at the side of the bank as searches continued today
Today they switched their attention to rubbish bins and drains, where they lifted grates to use sticks to try and clear debris for examination.
They were also seen carefully checking below a step near public toilets in the car park where they have been based for the past 48 hours.
Above them was a sign for CCTV cameras around the site, the footage on which may yield more clues as the town's Ropewalk area remained taped off.
There is currently rain pouring down there, which may slow down some of the searches.
Couzens, who worked on the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command unit, was not on duty at the time of Ms Everard's disappearance.
The defendant, from Deal in Kent, was charged on Friday and appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court the following day.
Sarah's death has united millions in grief and led to many women sharing their stories of abuse
Ms Everard's death has sparked vigils across the country in her memory and demands for action to tackle violence against women.
Images of women being manhandled by police officers at a vigil on Clapham Common on Saturday night have prompted shock and widespread condemnation.
There have been further protests in Westminster on Sunday and Monday sparking more arrests by the Met who say people attending are breaking Covid laws.
Miss Everard's last known movements have been aired previously in court.
She had visited a friend in the Clapham Junction area on March 3 and left at around 9pm to make the two-and-a-half-mile journey home.
She called her boyfriend for around 14 minutes and there was no activity on her mobile phone after that.
Ms Everard was captured alone on CCTV at 9.15pm and again 9.28pm, and was later caught on the camera of a marked police car at 9.32pm.
At around 9.35pm, a bus camera captured two figures on Poynders Road and a white Vauxhall Astra with its hazard lights flashing.
Another bus camera captured the same car with both front doors open.
The registration of the vehicle, later confirmed to be a car hired in Dover, Kent, was caught and tracked by police as it left London towards Kent.
New nightmare for Cressida Dick after it emerges Met police officer guarding Sarah Everard murder scene 'sent inappropriate WhatsApp messages to colleagues about her killing'
A police officer guarding the Sarah Everard murder scene allegedly sent colleagues inappropriate WhatsApp messages about her killing.
The probationary Met constable, who had been deployed as a cordon officer supporting the search operation in Kent, is said to have shared a meme showing images of a uniformed officer abducting a woman.
Horrified fellow officers reported the rookie officer's actions because they were concerned by its content. The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards was made aware on Friday.
The latest incident adds to the pressure faced by Met Commissioner Cressida Dick as she battles calls to resign over her force's 'heavy handed' crackdown on a vigil for Ms Everard on Clapham Common on Saturday and the investigation into murder suspect Wayne Couzens.
The incident has now been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the officer has been removed from frontline duties.
He is believed to have been placed in a non-public facing role while enquiries continue.
In a statement, the Met Police confirmed the graphic did not contain photographic images, images of Sarah, or any other material obtained from or related to the investigation into Sarah’s murder.
Wayne Couzens (left) is presented with an award for his achievements during his time in the territorial army between 2002-2004. Couzens was charged with the murder and kidnap of Sarah Everard (right), who disappeared on March 3
Metropolitan Police officers have been in Sandwich, Kent, in recent days as the Sarah Everard investigation continues
Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick (seen walking to New Scotland Yard) has faced mounting pressure over the force's handling of Ms Everard's disappearance and a crackdown on a vigil held in memory of her on Saturday
A probationary Met police officer, who was deployed as a cordon officer supporting the search operation in Kent, allegedly sent an 'inappropriate graphic' on social media with some colleagues who later reported the PC. Pictured: Police presence in Great Chart, Kent, last week
The probationary PC has been removed from duties and placed in a non-public facing role while enquiries continue. Pictured: A Metropolitan Police van and a private ambulance at the scene of the woods near Ashford in Kent
Sarah’s family have been made aware of the incident.
Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave, said: 'The Metropolitan Police Service expects its officers to behave professionally at all times and this includes how they use social media.
'I take allegations that any officer or officers have failed to observe these standards very seriously and have referred this matter to the IOPC.'
Ex-Met detective chief inspector Mick Neville told The Sun: 'Being a frontline officer, dealing with crime and misery, often requires a gallows sense of humour to let off steam.
'But any decent officer knows the limits. Joking about a horrific murder and kidnap, whilst the family is grieving, is completely unacceptable.
'The last thing the Met needs is anything else to undermine the public’s trust in the force. This will do just that.'
It is the sixth referral of the Met to the IOPC regarding events surrounding the disappearance and murder of Ms Everard.
