The British agent charged with the murder of a 33-year-old London woman first appeared in court on Saturday. He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address.
Constable Wayne Couzens, 48, who guarded diplomatic buildings, is charged with kidnapping and murder in the death of Sarah Everard on March 3, who disappeared while walking home from a friend’s apartment, Reuters reported.
The disgraced officer stood up in silence, wearing a gray tracksuit, while the allegations were read to him during the brief hearing, The Associated Press reported. He was held in custody and is due to appear before the Central Criminal Court in London on Tuesday.
Couzens, who joined the police force in 2018, was found with head injuries in his cell at Wandsworth Police Station in South London on Thursday, his second night in custody. He was taken to hospital for the second time on Friday.
Police confirmed that Everard’s body was found on Wednesday in a wooded area in Kent, southeast London. She had to be identified by dental records, according to The Sun.
Authorities refused to permit a vigil scheduled for Saturday near where Everard was last seen, citing the pandemic. Activists wanted the event to draw attention to the safety of women generated by her murder before a “Reclaim These Streets” wake.
Video credit: REUTERS