Sarah Everard case: Shocking texts show cop 'acted out rape fantasy' in group chat with killer Wayne Couzens
Warning: This article contains details of graphic text messages containing offensive language.
Shocking text messages shared between three Met police officers about raping a female colleague and sexually assaulting domestic violence victims have been made public.
PC Jonathan Cobban, 35, PC William Neville, 34, and ex-officer Joel Borders, 45, exchanged the "grossly offensive" messages in a WhatsApp group with ex-MET officer Wayne Couzens, who is currently serving a life sentence for the rape and murder of Sarah Everard. Now, the three officers are on trial charged with the improper use of a public electronic communications network between April and August 2019.
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“She will use me as an example. Lead me on then get me kicked up when I rape and beat her! Sneaky b***h," Borders wrote of a colleague in a message sent on April 25, 2019. Court records alleged Neville had also acted out a sick "rape fantasy" of a mentally-distressed 15-year-old girl, referring to restraining her on the ground as a "struggle snuggle." On August 9, he told Cobban about his first call as "an urgent assistant" in which he "pinned a 15-year-old girl going mental on the floor." He wrote, “I knew all the struggle snuggles would come in useful at some point.” Cobban replied, “Haha struggle snuggles are always useful… good skills!” Prosecutor Edward Brown QC told the court that Neville "got pleasure from the detention of a 15-year-old girl with what he called a ‘struggle snuggle.'" He added, “We submit that this is acting out a rape fantasy. Cobban encourages this, and comments ‘haha’, displaying an amused reaction.”
Serving Metropolitan Police officers Pc William Neville and Jonathon Cobban arrive at Westminster Magistrates' Court where they are charged with sharing "grossly offensive" WhatsApp messages with #SarahEverard murderer #WayneCouzens. They deny the charges. pic.twitter.com/b3RyyKWJwi
— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) March 17, 2022
In another exchange, an unnamed officer wrote in the group, "Mate they aren't gonna ditch you with your skill sets, not unless you finger a DV [domestic violence] victim!" Cobban allegedly replied, "That's alright, DV victims love it. That's why they are repeat victims." Meanwhile, another set of messages saw Neville reference domestic violence cases. "3 domestics back to back today," he wrote, to which Borders allegedly responded, "I bet they all had one thing in common Women that don’t listen."
That said, some messages also included racist references to multicultural precincts they served in. “Got a bus through Hounslow… what a fucking Somali sh**hole," Cobban wrote. "Great. There goes pussy patrol … more like FGM patrol. Walking through Hounslow Central is like walking through a Dulux color code. Not even the shops were in English," he added. Borders chimed in saying it was like "Hounslow twinned with Baghdad" and that he was looking forward to getting a firearm so he could "shoot some c**t in the face." Cobban allegedly replied saying he wanted to “taser a cat and a dog to see which reacts better." He added, “Same with children. Zap zap you little f******."
PC Jonathan Cobban, 35, PC William Neville, 34, and ex-officer Joel Borders, 45, face a two day long trial at Westminster Magistrates court.
— London Live (@LondonLive) July 28, 2022
They have denied sharing 'grossly offensive' messages with Sarah Everard's murderer Wayne Couzens. pic.twitter.com/zcIFhjz6ZE
Cobban expressed regret over sending the messages during police interviews, calling them "stupid." He tried to explain his comments about the Hounslow community resembling a “Dulux chart," saying, “This comment was in relation to the vibrancy of the area. It was a shock to see… I was new to the area.”
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While Couzens was part of the WhatsApp group, his messages were not revealed due to legal reasons. The 48-year-old is serving a life sentence for strangling Everard, 33, with his police belt after kidnapping her in a "false arrest" as she walked home citing Covid lockdown regulations.
BREAKING: Former police officer Wayne Couzens, who is serving a whole-life term for the murder of Sarah Everard, has lost a Court of Appeal bid to reduce his sentence.
— TalkTV (@TalkTV) July 29, 2022
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Borders and Cobban have both denied five charges of sending via public communication network an offensive, indecent, obscene, or menacing message or matter. Neville has pleaded not guilty to two identical charges.
The trial is ongoing. Check back for updates.