Is Wayne Couzens still receiving cop salary? Sarah Everard’s accused killer will keep getting paid while on trial
Wayne Couzens, the Metropolitan Police constable who has been arrested on the suspicion of kidnapping Sarah Everard, with additional suspicion of murder, will continue to receive his salary until a trial verdict is reached, according to reports. Couzens, who is 48 years old, was arrested last Tuesday, March 9, after 33-year-old Sarah Everard disappeared while walking home to Brixton from Clapham in South London. Everard's body was found in an area of woodland in Kent.
Couzens who appeared in court after being charged with the kidnapping and murder of Everard is set to appear again at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, March 16, according to BBC. While in custody, Couzens was taken to a hospital twice after being found with head injuries inside his cell. He has since been discharged and returned to his cell. His wife, Elena Couzens, was arrested on suspicion of assisting with the kidnapping of Everard and was later released on bail.
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According to The Sun, Couzens will continue to receive his full wage of at least £33,000 per year (almost $46,000 a year) up until the trial verdict if he pleads not guilty. At the time of his arrest, Couzens was working in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command and had joined the police force 10 years ago. The Met police officer recently stationed in Westminster provided protection at major public events attended by senior members of the royal family.
According to the publication, the pay precedent had been established in line with the presumption that the officer, like any other defendant, is innocent until proven guilty. The National Police Chiefs' Council told The Sun, “The policy would be the officer is on full pay until the point they are dismissed.” A Police Federation spokeswoman also told the publication, "The situation for police is in some ways not different to any other employee who has been arrested and charged for offenses."
She continued, "They would continue to be paid until the disciplinary process is invoked, the speed of which would be down to the employer. While instant dismissal without pay doesn’t exist within policing, a Fast Track Disciplinary process does exist along with the ability for pension forfeiture, which doesn’t exist outside of policing."
Everard, a marketing manager from Brixton, South London, was walking home on Wednesday, March 3, after meeting a friend. She spoke to her partner for around 15 minutes on a phone call and was last contacted around 9:28 pm. She had been out of touch ever since. Police later confirmed that the human remains found in the Kent woodland belonged to Everard.
Everard's cause of death has not been determined as it is still under investigation as to how she was murdered. Couzens was arrested on suspicion of her kidnapping and subsequent murder, at his home in Deal, Kent, over 60 miles from Everard's last location. Everard's body remains were discovered at a location near his home.