Police officer pleads guilty to death of UK woman Sarah Everard

A police officer in the United Kingdom pled guilty to the murder to Sarah Everard on Friday, a woman whose death sparked protests in Britain over violence against women. 

Wayne Couzens, a London police officer, pleaded guilty to murder four months after the death of Everard Reuters reported. Couzens had previously pleaded guilty to Everard’s kidnap and rape. 

It was confirmed in June after a post-mortem that Everard died from compression of the neck. 

Everard was found dead in March in the woods after she was walking home from a friend’s house. 

The 48-year-old officer who was in charge of diplomatic protection admitted in June to kidnapping and raping the 33-year-old woman, but did not enter a plea on murder charges since medical reports were still underway.  

Everard’s killing outraged women across the country with Prime Minister Boris Johnson introducing a plan for more street lighting and letting officers wear normal clothes to patrol bars as a response. 

“Ultimately, we must drive out violence against women and girls and make every part of the criminal justice system work to better protect and defend them,” Johnson said amid the outrage.