Police boss vows to help women and girls feel safe after Sarah Everard murder

Ex-policeman Wayne Couzens was given a whole life tariff yesterday for abducting and killing the 33-year-old as she walked home from a friend's house on March 3.

A judge at the Old Bailey described the case as "devastating, tragic, and wholly brutal" after the court heard how he kidnapped her under the guise of a fake arrest for breaking lockdown rules.

Couzens, 48, used his Metropolitan Police-issue warrant card and handcuffs to dupe Ms Everard in south London, before driving to a secluded rural area near Dover in Kent, where he parked up and raped Ms Everard.

Married Couzens strangled his victim and then burned her body in a refrigerator in an area of woodland he owned. He then dumped the remains in a nearby pond.

Reacting to the sentencing, West Mercia police and crime commissioner John Campion said: "This shocking murder has understandably shaken the country. The tragic death of Sarah Everard, an innocent woman going about her life, before it was taken from her by a person in a position of trust and responsibility.

“This will have clearly affected the trust of the country, and their belief in police who are there to protect the public. This horrific isolated incident should not undo the good and committed work of those officers who work tirelessly to protect all members of community.

"No sentence will bring Sarah's family or friends the justice they deserve, but I hope this sentence goes to support them in some way. No one should ever have to experience this and the country has been alongside them in the pain of this incident.

"As commissioner, I will continue to play my part in making sure women and girls within West Mercia are safe and feel safe. I will ensure they are not only given a voice, but they are being listened to. I will also ensure there is a focus on prevention and the right support is there for those who need it.”