Wayne Couzens launches appeal against whole-life sentence for Sarah Everard murder

Lord Justice Fulford sentenced Couzens to life behind bars for his “grotesque” crimes

Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens was handed a whole life sentence for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard in south London. (Metropolitan Police)

Sarah Everard’s murderer is appealing against the whole-life sentence he was given at the Old Bailey last month, it has emerged.

On 30 September, Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens was sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars for the kidnap, rape and murder of the 33-year-old marketing executive.

He had pleaded guilty to the charges of kidnap and rape in June, before confessing to her murder the following month.

At his sentencing, Lord Justice Fulford described his crimes as “grotesque”, saying the whole life order was warranted because of his abuse of power. He had falsely arrested Ms Everard using police handcuffs as she made her way home from a friend’s house on 3 March this year.

A court official told the Mirror on Tuesday that Couzens had launched an appeal against his sentence. “We have been notified that an appeal has been lodged by Mr Couzens,” they said.

The death of Ms Everard shocked the nation and led to fierce criticism of the police.

After Couzens was jailed for life, Ms Everard’s family said that “knowing he will be imprisoned forever brings some relief”, even if “nothing can make things better”.

“Sarah lost her life needlessly and cruelly and all the years of life she had yet to enjoy were stolen from her,” they said.

“It is almost seven months since Sarah died and the pain of losing her is overwhelming. We miss her all the time. She was a beautiful young woman in looks and character and our lives are the poorer without her...We hold her safe in our hearts.”

After the end of a shift at the American embassy, Couzens kidnapped Ms Everard, driving her to a rural area near Dover, Kent.

The father-of-two then raped her and strangled her with a police issue belt. He later burned her body and dumped her remains in a pond near Ashford, where they were discovered by sniffer dogs on 10 March.

Couzens was arrested on 9 March at his home in Deal, Kent, after police connected him to the hire car he used to abduct Ms Everard.