Wayne Couzens: Met PC missed chance to investigate, hearing told

A Met Police constable missed an accidental to decently analyse Wayne Couzens implicit 2 instances of flashing hours earlier helium murdered Sarah Everard, a proceeding has been told.

Samantha Lee is said to person failed to marque "the close investigative inquiries" erstwhile Couzens exposed himself astatine a fast-food edifice successful Kent.

At the misconduct hearing, she was besides accused of lying astir her actions.

Ms Lee, who is nary longer a constabulary officer, denies gross misconduct.

She besides denies breaching the force's standards.

The misconduct allegations subordinate to however Ms Lee investigated 2 instances of Couzens exposing himself to pistillate members of unit astatine the McDonald's drive-through edifice successful Swanley, Kent, connected 14 and 27 February 2020.

The constabulary disciplinary proceeding was told that Ms Lee visited the edifice connected 3 March, interviewing the branch's manager Sam Taylor, hours earlier Ms Everard was kidnapped by Couzens successful Clapham, south-west London.

Paul Ozin KC, for the Met Police, said aft the incidents were reported to the unit connected 28 February, the substance was recorded arsenic "less urgent" than different matters the unit had to woody with.

He said a machine check, which was made aft the edifice manager made the call, confirmed the achromatic Seat Exeo had been registered to Couzens since January 2018.

Mr Ozin added: "There is nary modular cheque that takes spot to spot whether a fishy successful transgression constabulary cases are constabulary officers."

The proceeding was besides told astir claims that Ms Lee lied astir her cognition of the restaurant's CCTV.

Mr Ozin said Mr Taylor claimed to person explained to her that portion the drive-through CCTV soon deleted automatically, different CCTV footage - which helium showed her - depicted Couzens' car.

Mr Taylor besides showed her receipts that showed the past 4 digits of Couzens' paper connected some occasions, the proceeding was told, arsenic good arsenic witnesser statements taken from 2 members of staff.

However, Mr Ozin told the proceeding Ms Lee says she was not shown immoderate CCTV footage but was alternatively shown however the CCTV strategy worked.

He said she had accepted she took possession of receipts and witnesser statements from Mr Taylor.

In a study made aft attending the restaurant, Ms Lee recommended Couzens beryllium arrested and questioned.

Mr Ozin said Ms Lee said she believed this study would beryllium allocated to a antithetic squad to travel up on.

However, Mr Ozin said she did not enactment the witnesser statements and the receipts successful a sealed grounds bag, alternatively keeping them successful a pouch successful her assemblage armour.

Mr Ozin said: "One of the cardinal issues of this lawsuit is whether determination has been immoderate horrible misunderstanding.

"It [the evidence] is supportive of the unpalatable decision that PC Lee conscionable did not fuss to get the CCTV, adjacent though she knew it was important, alternatively relying connected others to bash that alternatively of her, and that she aboriginal lied to others erstwhile she knew that the stakes had escalated astronomically."

If Ms Lee is recovered to person committed gross misconduct, she could beryllium banned from serving arsenic a constabulary serviceman again.

In March, Couzens was sentenced to 19 months successful situation aft admitting 3 counts of indecent exposure. He was already serving a whole-life word for the kidnap, rape and execution of Ms Everard.

The misconduct proceeding is expected to past 7 days.

How did the Met miss opportunities to halt Wayne Couzens and spot a serial enactment offender successful its ranks?

Former PC Samantha Lee is accused of doing a lamentably mediocre and rushed occupation to analyse reports of him indecently exposing himself conscionable days earlier helium kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard.

She denies gross misconduct and implicit the adjacent fewer days the sheet volition person to determine whether her nonaccomplishment to unafraid CCTV and travel up her ain proposal that Couzens beryllium arrested and questioned was a horrible misunderstanding, oregon whether she deliberately sought to screen up doing a atrocious job.

The lawsuit whitethorn besides rise wider questions astir the mode constabulary analyse indecent exposure.

The sheet heard that the 999 telephone reporting the 2 incidents astatine McDonald's were classed arsenic debased risk.

Ms Lee was assigned to analyse 3 days aft the 2nd incidental was reported, hours earlier Couzens kidnapped Sarah.

It besides heard the cheque connected the constabulary nationalist machine flagged up Couzens arsenic the registered proprietor of the car - and his location code - but not his occupation successful the Met Police. There is nary modular cheque that would amusement that a fishy successful a transgression lawsuit is simply a serving officer.

There's besides inactive an autarkic inquiry, the second portion of the Angiolini inquiry, which is looking astatine constabulary civilization and systems and what's being done to support women from enactment offenders.