Retracing Sarah Everard's last known movements is confronting, to say the least. Clusters of flowers mark the spots where CCTV vision and doorbell camera footage captured the marketing executive's last known steps. The roads she walked along side, during what should have been a minute trip to her Brixton home in south London, are wide and heaving with traffic. They are main roads, rather than side streets that may have provided her a faster route home.
Clapham Common, which she passed through and where a bandstand has now become a memorial site for the year-old, although not well lit, is surrounded by homes and busy streets. During COVID lockdowns, the community has been urged to stay off public transport and walk or ride instead. It's little wonder young women across the capital and the country have been reeling. Sarah was first reported missing on March 4 by her boyfriend, and for the days that followed, police surveyed footage, knocked on doors, spoke to more than people and searched parklands and ponds for evidence.
At midnight on March 9, Metropolitan Police announced they had arrested a serving police officer at an address in Deal, Kent, in connection with Ms Everard's disappearance. On March 10, her remains were found in a builder's bag in woodland near Ashford , km south-east of London.
They were identified via dental records. Two post-mortem examinations have been conducted, although a cause of death has not been made public. Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave described as "shocking and deeply disturbing" the fact the man accused of Sarah's abduction and murder is a serving police officer. Wayne Couzens, a year-old married father of two, is set to face trial in October with a plea hearing to be held in July.
He joined the Met in , and in early was moved to the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command β the armed unit responsible for guarding London's diplomatic buildings and embassies.
