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FILE - This undated record photograph issued by the Metropolitan Police shows Sarah Everard. Wayne Couzens appeared astatine London's Central Criminal Court charged with the kidnap, rape and execution of 33-year-old Sarah Everard, who disappeared portion walking location from visiting a person successful southbound London connected March 3. Couzens has pleaded blameworthy to the charges. (Metropolitan Police via AP)

LONDON – A serving London constabulary serviceman was sentenced Thursday to a full beingness condemnation for the kidnapping, rape and execution of a pistillate successful a lawsuit that shocked the nation.

Wayne Couzens, 48, was accused of utilizing his constabulary recognition and COVID-19 laws to instrumentality 33-year-old Sarah Everard into his car successful a mendacious apprehension arsenic she walked location from visiting a person successful southbound London connected March 3. Prosecutors said helium handcuffed Everard connected the pretext that she broke lockdown rules, drove her acold extracurricular the superior and past raped and killed her.

Couzens had pleaded blameworthy to the charges of abduction, rape and murder.

Justice Adrian Fulford said the circumstances of the lawsuit are “devastating, tragic and wholly brutal." He said Couzens went “hunting a lone pistillate to kidnap and rape," having planned the transgression successful “unspeakably” grim detail.

Everard’s assemblage was recovered successful woodland successful Ashford, Kent, astir 60 miles (nearly 100 kilometers) southeast of London, a week aft she went missing. Prosecutors said Couzens strangled her earlier mounting occurrence to the body.

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Couzens joined the Metropolitan Police successful 2018 and had worked arsenic portion of a squad protecting diplomatic locations successful cardinal London. He had worked an overnight displacement astatine the U.S. Embassy connected the time helium kidnapped Everard.

The Metropolitan Police has said it was “sickened, angered and devastated" by however 1 of its ain was liable for the crime.

In the aftermath of Everard's killing, galore questions were raised astir spot successful constabulary and however constabulary vet their officers. Some besides criticized Scotland Yard for not doing capable to support women and girls and tackle allegations of intersexual violence.

After Couzens' arrest, it emerged that helium had been accused of indecent vulnerability astatine slightest doubly years earlier helium murdered Everard, and constabulary is being investigated implicit whether the allegations were dealt with properly.

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