London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

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

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

A Met Police constable missed an opportunity to properly investigate Wayne Couzens over two instances of flashing hours before he murdered Sarah Everard, a hearing has been told.

Samantha Lee is said to have failed to make "the correct investigative inquiries" when Couzens exposed himself at a fast-food restaurant in Kent.

At the misconduct hearing, she was also accused of lying about her actions.

Ms Lee, who is no longer a police officer, denies gross misconduct.

She also denies breaching the force's standards.

Wayne Couzens will never be freed


'Less urgent'


The misconduct allegations relate to how Ms Lee investigated two instances of Couzens exposing himself to female members of staff at the McDonald's drive-through restaurant in Swanley, Kent, on 14 and 27 February 2020.

The police disciplinary hearing was told that Ms Lee visited the restaurant on 3 March, interviewing the branch's manager Sam Taylor, hours before Ms Everard was kidnapped by Couzens in Clapham, south-west London.

Paul Ozin KC, for the Met Police, said after the incidents were reported to the force on 28 February, the matter was recorded as "less urgent" than other matters the force had to deal with.

He said a computer check, which was made after the restaurant manager made the call, confirmed the black Seat Exeo had been registered to Couzens since January 2018.

Mr Ozin added: "There is no standard check that takes place to see whether a suspect in criminal police cases are police officers."

CCTV footage showed Couzens' car at the McDonald's drive-through


The hearing was also told about claims that Ms Lee lied about her knowledge of the restaurant's CCTV.

Mr Ozin said Mr Taylor claimed to have explained to her that while the drive-through CCTV soon deleted automatically, other CCTV footage - which he showed her - depicted Couzens' car.

Mr Taylor also showed her receipts that showed the last four digits of Couzens' card on both occasions, the hearing was told, as well as witness statements taken from two members of staff.

However, Mr Ozin told the hearing Ms Lee says she was not shown any CCTV footage but was instead shown how the CCTV system worked.


'Misunderstanding'


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

In a report made after attending the restaurant, Ms Lee recommended Couzens be arrested and questioned.

Mr Ozin said Ms Lee said she believed this report would be allocated to a different team to follow up on.

However, Mr Ozin said she did not put the witness statements and the receipts in a sealed evidence bag, instead keeping them in a pocket in her body armour.

Mr Ozin said: "One of the central issues of this case is whether there has been some horrible misunderstanding.

"It [the evidence] is supportive of the unpalatable conclusion that PC Lee just did not bother to get the CCTV, even though she knew it was important, instead relying on others to do that instead of her, and that she later lied to others when she knew that the stakes had escalated astronomically."

The Met Police says the allegations amount to gross misconduct


If Ms Lee is found to have committed gross misconduct, she could be banned from serving as a police officer again.

In March, Couzens was sentenced to 19 months in prison after admitting three counts of indecent exposure. He was already serving a whole-life term for the kidnap, rape and murder of Ms Everard.

The misconduct hearing is expected to last seven days.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
×