The convicted Met officer who kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard has been dismissed with immediate effect.
This is following the conclusion of an accelerated misconduct hearing on Friday, July 16.
The hearing, chaired by Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball, discovered that the conduct of PC Couzens, 48, breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of discreditable conduct.
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Couzens attached to the Met’s parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command abducted Ms Everard on her way back to Brixton.
He was dismissed without notice.
On Tuesday, June 8, PC Couzens appeared at the Central Criminal Court and pleaded guilty to the kidnap and rape of Sarah Everard.
Following consultation with interested parties, including the Crown Prosecution Service, AC Ball decided the hearing should be held in private.
She acknowledged that such hearings would normally be held in public and that there is heightened public interest in this particular case.
However, the need for transparency in misconduct proceedings is significantly outweighed by the risk of interfering with criminal proceedings.
Having carefully considered the representations put forward, AC Ball was persuaded that there remains a real risk of undermining the criminal case, despite PC Couzens’ guilty pleas.
AC Ball said: “Couzens has betrayed everything we, the police, stand for and following his guilty pleas and convictions, I have dismissed him today.
“All of us in the Met are horrified, sickened and angered by this man’s crimes. Sarah was a young woman who had her life cruelly snatched away from her.
“I know she is sorely missed by so many people and our thoughts remain with her loved ones. We are so profoundly sorry.”
The MPS held an accelerated hearing as quickly as possible following Couzens’ guilty plea and conviction on Friday, July 9, resulting in his dismissal today.
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