A Metropolitan police officer is to face a gross misconduct hearing for allegedly failing to properly investigate indecent exposure allegations against Wayne Couzens, before he murdered Sarah Everard, the police watchdog has said.
The officer was tasked with investigating an incident at a fast food restaurant where Couzens indecently exposed himself. It took place on 27 February 2021, six days before Couzens kidnapped and then murdered Sarah Everard.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct announced its decision on Tuesday. The maximum penalty for gross misconduct is dismissal from the force.
The IOPC also said an officer from Kent police would face a misconduct meeting over separate allegations relating to another alleged indecent exposure by Couzens.
Couzens on Monday pleaded guilty to three different criminal charges of indecent exposure all of which happened before he murdered Everard.
He is serving a whole-life term for the March 2021 kidnap, rape and murder of Everard committed while he was a Met firearms officer.
The IOPC said: “The MPS police constable will face allegations they breached police standards of professional behaviour for duties and responsibilities for alleged failings over the way inquiries were progressed.
“The constable is also accused of breaching the standards relating to honesty and integrity over parts of an account provided to IOPC investigators in respect of the alleged failings.
“We began an investigation after a conduct referral from the MPS on 10 March 2021 concerning the investigation into reports that a man had exposed himself to female staff on two occasions in February 2021 at a drive-through fast food restaurant in south London. “Former MPS officer Wayne Couzens pleaded guilty to both offences on Monday 13 February 2023.
“The IOPC investigation, completed in January 2022, looked at whether inquiries were adequately carried out and supervised between the officer’s visit to the restaurant on 3 March and on 10 March when a different team took over. We considered whether local and national policies were followed in relation to the gathering of any available CCTV evidence, checks on a vehicle used by the alleged offender, and if evidential material was correctly dealt with.
“We concluded that the constable has a case to answer for gross misconduct and it will be for the MPS to organise the misconduct hearing, at which a panel led by an independent and legally qualified chair will decide whether the allegations are proven.”
The Kent officer, a sergeant, was investigated over a 2015 incident when Couzens was alleged to have exposed himself in Dover.
The IOPC said: “The IOPC also completed a separate investigation into Kent police’s handling of a report alleging that a man driving a car indecently exposed himself to a pedestrian in Dover in June 2015. The vehicle was identified as belonging to Wayne Couzens.
“We began our inquiries following a conduct referral from Kent police in May 2021 and concluded that a sergeant has a case to answer for misconduct for alleged failures in following all reasonable lines of inquiry before the case was closed. We found no evidence to suggest that Wayne Couzens was identified as a police officer and he was not spoken to.
“Kent police will organise a misconduct meeting at which the officer will face allegations amounting to a breach of the police professional standards for duties and responsibilities.”
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