More than five years after the murder of Sarah Everard by former police officer Wayne Couzens, the disgraced killer remains locked inside a high-security jail alongside notorious inmates.
He was once seen as a trusted member of society, but that trust was shattered when he abused his authority and coerced Sarah Everard into his vehicle — and she was never seen alive again.
On the evening of March 3, 2021, former Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens exploited his position to detain the young woman, handcuffing her under the guise of his official powers.
The crime shocked the nation and sparked widespread protests after 33-year-old Sarah was sexually assaulted and murdered. Prior to joining the police, Couzens had already faced allegations of a sexual offence involving a child.
After abducting Sarah in south London, Couzens drove her to Kent, where he killed her and later burned her remains before dumping them in woodland. His actions deprived her grieving family of the chance to see her one last time.
The case brought the issue of violence against women into sharp focus. Yet more than five years on, many believe progress has been limited. A report published last year warned that too many offenders are avoiding justice because of serious failures in how crimes are recorded.
Lady Elish Angiolini, who led the inquiry launched after Sarah’s murder, found that many sexual predators are still slipping through the system and that preventive measures often amount to little more than promises.
Now 53, Couzens is serving a whole-life sentence at HMP Frankland in County Durham — a high-security prison sometimes nicknamed “Monster Mansion.” The Mirror says reports about life inside the prison frequently attract public anger and scrutiny.
Recently, fellow inmate Ian Huntley was attacked at the prison and left seriously injured. It was the third assault on him during his 24 years behind bars. Before the incident, Huntley had reportedly become increasingly paranoid that other prisoners were trying to poison him. After the attack, which took place shortly after 9 a.m. on a Thursday, he was found lying in a pool of blood. Authorities have not officially confirmed the identity of the suspected attacker, though triple killer Anthony Russell has been named in reports.
Huntley, who worked as a cleaner on A Wing, had reportedly stopped eating prison meals because he believed other inmates were targeting him. Instead, he relied on food and sweets from the prison shop, which caused him to gain weight. He is serving life sentences for the murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, who disappeared after leaving a family barbecue in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2002.
Former inmate Ricky Killeen, who previously served five years at Frankland for a machete attack, said Couzens will likely spend the rest of his life constantly on guard — particularly because he was once a police officer. According to Killeen, former officers can become prime targets in high-security prisons, where violence can be severe.
Inside such prisons, inmates have reportedly used makeshift weapons fashioned from everyday objects, including broken electronics and shattered ceramic fixtures. In one particularly brutal attack, a prisoner suffered severe burns after boiling liquid mixed with melted butter was thrown at him — a form of assault known among inmates as “swilling,” intended to cause maximum injury.
Because of the notoriety of his crime and his former role in law enforcement, Couzens is considered at high risk from other prisoners. Sources have suggested that his profile makes it impossible for him to live on a standard wing. Instead, he is expected to remain segregated or housed in a small unit for vulnerable prisoners, separated from the general population.
Clinical psychologist Dr Tracy King said managing high-profile offenders has always been difficult, and the strain on the prison system makes it even more challenging. In cases like Couzens or Huntley, she explained, the individuals are more than just inmates — their crimes carry strong public emotion, increasing the risk of hostility from other prisoners and requiring stricter supervision and separation. Staffing shortages, she noted, can make maintaining that level of oversight harder.
King also said Couzens’ former role as a police officer adds another layer of complexity. When someone who once represented authority commits such a crime, it can feel like a deep betrayal to the public and even to those working within similar institutions. For prison staff, this can create a difficult balance between their duty to protect prisoners and the emotional weight of managing someone whose actions shocked the country. Social media and rapid digital communication, she added, can intensify public scrutiny and pressure on those overseeing such cases.
In 2022, it emerged that Couzens had been allowed to buy an Xbox 360 after good behaviour but complained when he learned that violent, adult-rated games would not be permitted. According to reports at the time, he had hoped to play shooting games such as Call of Duty and Gears of War but was limited to less violent titles instead.
That same year, reports also suggested Couzens had struck up a disturbing friendship with David Fuller, a convicted murderer and serial necrophile known as the “Morgue Monster.” The two were said to have bonded while housed on the same wing at Frankland and reportedly discussed shared connections to Kent. Fuller had been convicted of murdering Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in Tunbridge Wells in 1987 and was later linked to further crimes through advances in DNA technology.
In April 2024, reports claimed Couzens filed a complaint after prison officials blocked a birthday gift sent by his mother. The parcel, which reportedly contained a book and clothing, was refused under rules that prevent inmates from receiving packages sent directly from home. In his grievance to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, he allegedly argued that the restrictions had not been clearly explained and even requested compensation for the cost of the items.
Dr King said such complaints are not unusual among prisoners. When someone loses their freedom, she explained, relatively small details — such as access to entertainment or receiving parcels — can become disproportionately important because they are among the few aspects of their environment they can try to control. In some cases, personality traits such as entitlement and limited empathy can mean a person focuses on their own frustrations rather than the harm they caused.
Last June, it was reported that Couzens was taken to an NHS hospital for a lumbar procedure, a spinal operation estimated to cost around £7,000. Transporting him under heavy security reportedly added roughly £10,000 more. The move drew criticism from Luke Akehurst, MP for North Durham, who questioned whether the murderer had effectively jumped the queue ahead of other patients waiting for treatment.
According to reports, Couzens spent three days in hospital before returning to the prison’s healthcare unit. Sources said the operation was not considered an emergency but was carried out to relieve his back pain. Due to the risk posed to him rather than by him, the transfer involved a bulletproof Category A prison van, multiple officers and armed police guarding him at the hospital.
In August 2023, it also emerged that the house Couzens had shared with his wife and children in Deal, Kent, had been put back on the market after failing to sell earlier in the year. The three-bedroom property was relisted with a reduced asking price after initially attracting no buyers.
Marking the fifth anniversary of Sarah Everard’s murder on March 3, Gemma Sherrington, chief executive of Refuge, said the case continues to highlight serious concerns about trust in policing among women and girls. She said that while there have been promises of reform and some policy changes, more meaningful action is still needed to prevent similar crimes.
Sherrington noted that the inquiry into the case found several key recommendations had not yet been fully implemented, including proposals to prevent individuals with prior sexual offence records from serving as police officers. Refuge has long argued for major improvements in vetting and accountability within policing, warning that stronger safeguards are needed to ensure positions of authority cannot be abused in the future.
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