Sarah Everard: Killer Wayne Couzens should not get pension, London mayor says

Sarah Everard's slayer Wayne Couzens could beryllium successful enactment for a £7,000-a-year constabulary pension, says Mayor of London Sadiq Khan - who has called for the ex-officer to beryllium stripped of the benefit.

Couzens, 50, was fixed a whole-life condemnation for murdering Ms Everard successful 2021 portion employed by the Met Police.

Mr Khan has successfully applied to portion Couzens of pension payments earned portion astatine the London force.

But helium believes Couzens qualifies for different payments owed to his erstwhile job.

Couzens joined the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) successful 2011 and served 7 years earlier transferring to the Met successful 2018.

Police regulations supply a process for taking distant an officer's pension if they are convicted of an offence apt to harm spot successful the service.

But the Civil Nuclear Constabulary - a peculiar unit which guards atomic facilities - is overseen by the UK Atomic Energy Authority and, ultimately, Energy Secretary Grant Shapps.

Mr Khan has written to Mr Shapps, saying lone the authorities tin halt Couzens 1 time receiving wealth from the CNC.

According to the politician of London's letter, seen by the BBC, Home Secretary Suella Braverman has issued a certificate of forfeiture for Couzens' Met pension.

But Mr Khan says the CNC information of the pension "sits extracurricular the mean constabulary pension regulations".

"I question your assurance that you volition instrumentality each imaginable steps to guarantee that Couzens is stripped of his pension," Mr Khan wrote. "This is what the nationalist would rightly expect."

A spokesperson for Mr Khan said: "It would beryllium wholly unacceptable if Couzens remains entitled to a azygous penny of his pension - it would beryllium precise hard for his victims and the wider nationalist to comprehend."

Mr Shapps has agreed that Couzens should get nothing, saying his "horrendous transgression shocked the nation".

He said helium supported a proposal from the CNC that Couzens beryllium stripped of his payment - and said helium would question an urgent update connected the concern from the pensions administrator.

Couzens was jailed successful September 2021 for the kidnap, rape and execution of 33-year-old Ms Everard successful March that year.