The Commons Speaker has asked the Metropolitan Police for an urgent meeting after it emerged that the firearms officer who murdered Sarah Everard worked on the Parliamentary Estate in 2020.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said it is “extremely concerning” that ex-PC Wayne Couzens was deployed to the Houses of Parliament as an armed officer, adding that it raises questions about police vetting procedures.
Couzens was handed a whole-life sentence at the Old Bailey on Thursday by Lord Justice Fulford, who said his “warped, selfish and brutal” offences had eroded confidence in the police.
Ms Everard, 33, was walking home from a friend’s house in Clapham, south London, on the evening of March 3, when she was kidnapped, raped and murdered by Couzens, 48.
The Met Police had previously said Couzens moved to the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command in February 2020 where his primary role was to patrol diplomatic premises, mainly embassies.
READ MORE: Police Scotland launch lone officer ‘verification’ check in wake of Sarah Everard murder
On Saturday, a Met Spokesman said: “Couzens was deployed to armed static protection duties on the Parliamentary Estate on five occasions from February to July 2020.”
The Parliamentary Estate includes the Palace of Westminster – the location of the House of Commons and House of Lords.
Sir Lindsay said: “Like everyone, I have been sickened by the depravity of Wayne Couzens – and heartbroken for the family of Sarah Everard.
“The news that Couzens was deployed as an armed officer on the Parliamentary Estate is extremely concerning and raises a number of questions about police vetting procedures.
“To that end, I have asked the Met Police to meet me urgently to discuss how this person could have been deemed suitable for deployment here.
“Further, I will be seeking reassurance that at no time was anyone on the parliamentary estate put at risk.
“The security of members and staff has always been my number one priority, so I want to know how this man could ever have crossed the parliamentary threshold.”
Couzens was said in court to have been “attracted to brutal sexual pornography” as far back as 2002.
The police watchdog previously said he was linked to a flashing incident in 2015, and two more incidents days before he killed Ms Everard.
Meanwhile, Police Scotland say they are introducing a new verification check that lone officers will offer members of the public they speak to, in response to Couzens using his warrant card to falsely arrest Ms Everard before her murder.
From Saturday, Police Scotland said officers who are operating on their own will proactively offer to carry out a verification check for anyone they come across who appears to be concerned for their safety.
This will involve the officer’s radio being put on loudspeaker and a member of the control room staff confirming who they are.
Police Scotland said its constables will normally operate in pairs, although there may be rare cases when a lone officer approaches a member of the public.
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