Couzens was also accused of possessing indecent images of children, and in 2004 exposed himself at a teenage girl in south London by driving past her while masturbating.

The offence was not reported at the time but the woman later came forward when she recognised Couzens in the media.

Rape allegations and assaults

At some point between late 2006 and early 2007, Couzens is suspected of attempting to rape a woman at a singles night at a bar in east London. The victim again came forward after the murder of Everard.

There was another allegation of rape in October 2019 which took place under a bridge in London. In the summer of 2019, Couzens also sexually assaulted a man in a bar in Kent. The complainant was in drag and wearing a blond wig when Couzens grabbed him inappropriately.

When the victim remonstrated with him, Couzens said he was a police officer and invited him outside to perform a sex act. The man also came forward to police following Couzens’ arrest for the murder of Everard.

There were also a string of allegations of indecent exposures, some of which were reported to police but not fully investigated. In November 2008, Couzens exposed himself to a woman in south London and while the offence was reported at the time no suspect was identified.

In 2015, Couzens again exposed himself but despite the victims providing police with his car registration, he was never arrested or charged. The inquiry concluded that the failure to investigate this offence fully was a “red flag and a missed opportunity to disrupt or even prevent further offending by Couzens”.

Sarah Everard’s murder

Everard was 33 when she vanished in Clapham, south-west London, on the way home from a friend’s house. She was abducted by Couzens at 9.30pm on March 3, 2021 after he stopped her on the street, showed her his warrant card and handcuffed her.

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Couzens used his status as a police officer to trick Everard into thinking she could have been arrested for breaking lockdown rules in place at the time. After putting her in the back of a vehicle he had rented, he drove to a remote location in Sibertswold, Kent and some point around midnight, raped her.

At 2am Couzens was seen on CCTV buying a drink from a petrol station. At some stage in the previous hour, he was believed to have strangled Everard using his police issue belt. After murdering her, Couzens hid her body in woodland near Ashford in Kent.

Following the murder of Everard, Couzens pleaded guilty to three further indecent exposures including two offences committed at a McDonald’s outlet just days before her death.

Angiolini said the investigations into these offences had been of “poor quality and inadequate”, with the officers displaying an “apathy and disinterest”. She all future reports of indecent exposure “must be thoroughly and comprehensively investigated”.

“Furthermore, victims need to be encouraged to report and believe they have no reason for shame or embarrassment. These emotions should be left to the perpetrators to experience,” she continued.

The report also identified a string of other potential red flags that police should have been spotted in the years before the murder of Everard. In 2013 when he was working as a firearms officer with the CNC, Couzens was reported missing for several hours.

The report said: “Couzens could have been driving around looking for a victim, in the same way as he did almost eight years later on the evening he abducted Sarah Everard and on other dates leading up to his crime.”

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On the night of Everard’s abduction, Couzens drove from his home in Deal, in England’s south-east, to London. Three days earlier he had booked a white Vauxhall Astra from a car hire firm in Dover, Kent, using his personal details and bank card.

The report concluded that his unexplained disappearance in the 2013 case should have been considered a warning sign when he was being vetted to join the Metropolitan Police. In addition, there were vetting failures when Couzens applied to join both the CNC and the Met.

He managed to mask his desperate financial state and the fact he was so in debt that he had entered an Individual Voluntary Arrangement in order to avoid bankruptcy, which would have prevented him joining the police.

The inquiry also heard evidence of Couzens sending indecent images of his genitalia to women who were selling female clothing online. He was also a regular user of dating sites and made telephone calls to escorts, although there was no evidence he visited them.

There were also instances of self-harm, including Couzens deliberately drilling his finger resulting in him being signed off work for three weeks. Before being accepted into the CNC, Couzens was a volunteer with the Kent Special Constabulary.

The report said: “Despite the favourable light in which Couzens was generally perceived by witnesses from Kent Special Constabulary and the absence of any suggestion that he behaved badly towards women while on duty, the inquiry concludes and is satisfied that, by the time Couzens resigned from the Kent Special Constabulary, he already had a history of abusive and potentially criminal sexual activity.”

Presenting her findings, Angiolini said: “The evidence seen by the inquiry has shown that failures in recruitment and vetting meant Couzens was able to continue a policing career which should have been denied to him.

“Failures investigations into allegations of indecent exposure meant opportunities to disrupt Couzens’ offending and bring his policing career to a halt were missed.

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“The fact remains three separate police forces allowed him the privilege of being a police officer when they could and should have stopped him.”

Responding to the report, Everard’s parents, Sue and Jeremy, and siblings, Katie and James Everard, said in a statement: “It is obvious Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust in reality he was a serial sex offender.

“Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed … We believe Sarah died because he was a police officer – she would never have got into a stranger’s car.”

The family also called for all the recommendations to be made forthwith, adding: “We cannot get Sarah back, but positive changes give hope for the future and will be of benefit to others.”

The UK’s information commissioner John Edwards, who contributed to the inquiry, said: “This inquiry paints a concerning picture of how disciplinary concerns about police officers and recruits are shared.

“There is a need for greater transparency here. The public have a right to understand how information will be shared to encourage trust in high standards of policing, and police officers have a right to understand how their information will be shared.”

If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline 131 114, or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.