Wayne Couzens allegedly sexually assaulted a drag queen. Photo / File
Wayne Couzens allegedly sexually assaulted a drag queen. Photo / File
Former police officer and convicted murderer Wayne Couzens has been accused of sexually assaulting a drag queen three years before he murdered UK woman Sarah Everard.
The unnamed performer has spoken out, saying he stood at the bar at a Kent pub when Couzens allegedly began touching him inappropriately.
Theperformer then said Couzens propositioned him for sex in an alley before boasting about being a police officer, when he told Couzens to stop molesting him.
The convicted rapist and murderer faces a fresh investigation while behind bars, the Mirror reported.
Couzens' alleged victim opened up about the alleged assault, detailing the conversation and movements that unfolded.
"After I calmed down a little bit, he went, "Do you want to go round the back where it's dark", suggesting he wanted to engage in sexual activity.
"I said to him, 'I've told you, p*** off.'"
The performer then told his partner what had happened but when they went to go to the bathroom Couzens had vanished.
The performer, who recognised Couzens "right away" when he saw him on TV, said the ordeal left him "terrified" to go out on his own and insists on staying close to his partner whenever he does.
He did not tell police about the incident until Couzens was sentenced, for fear his claims wouldn't be taken seriously.
The police watchdog is already looking into three allegations against the 48-year-old to determine whether detectives missed chances to arrest or fire him before Sarah Everard's death.
His car was linked to reports of a man driving naked from the waist down in Kent in 2015, but a vetting check when he joined the Metropolitan Police in 2018 failed to flag this.
He was also linked to two allegations of indecent exposure outside a McDonald's in Swanley, Kent, days before the murder, prompting the Met to "re-evaluate" its approach to that type of offence.
Couzens was given a rare life sentence by Britain's top court over the kidnapping, rape and murder of the 33-year-old.
He was sentenced to a whole life order at the Old Bailey criminal court in central London, the first police officer to receive such a sentence.
In the UK, prisoners rarely serve full term life sentences except for an exception to the rule — a "whole life order".
The sentence, described a "rare" by experts, means Couzens will never be released from prison. There will be no chance for parole.
SEXUAL HARM Sexual harm - Where to get help If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111. If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7: • Call 0800 044 334 • Text 4334 • Email support@safetotalk.nz • For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list. If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.
