Police constable Wayne Couzens has pleaded guilty to the kidnapping and rape of Sarah Everard, who went missing in March while walking home in south London. The serving Metropolitan police officer appeared in court via video link accused over the disappearance and death of the 33-year-old marketing executive. Couzens, 48, also admitted responsibility for her killing. He has not yet entered a plea to the charge that he murdered Everard. The court heard that psychiatric reports were being compiled and may be ready next month. He formally pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to the kidnap and rape of Everard. Couzens spoke only to say “guilty, sir”, when asked to plead to the charges put to him. He pleaded guilty to kidnapping Everard “unlawfully and by force or fraud” on 3 March. He then pleaded guilty to a charge of rape between 2 and 10 March. Couzens is also accused of Everard’s murder between 2 and 10 March. He appeared by the video link from Belmarsh prison in south-east London wearing khaki trousers and a grey sweatshirt for the short hearing. Some of Everard’s family were in court as Couzens, who had served as an armed police officer, entered his pleas He is scheduled to appear in court on 9 July before Lord Justice Fulford. Everard was last seen on 3 March as she walked from her friend’s place to her home in south London, a journey of two and a half miles. Her body was found in a builder’s bag in woodland in Ashford, Kent, on 10 March. It was identified via dental records. Couzens, who joined the Met in 2018, was arrested at his home in Deal in Kent in March, first on suspicion of kidnap. The next day, while in police custody, he was arrested on suspicion of murder. Last week, the results of a postmortem were made public, which showed Everard died from compression of the neck. Announcing the results, the Met said: “A postmortem examination into the death of Sarah Everard held at the William Harvey hospital in Ashford has given cause of death as compression of the neck. Sarah’s family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.” Everard’s parents, Jeremy and Susan, were in court as Couzens admitted the attack on their daughter. In a statement after her death, Everard’s family paid tribute and described her as “a shining example to us all” who brought them pride and joy. It said: “Sarah was bright and beautiful – a wonderful daughter and sister. She was kind and thoughtful, caring and dependable. She always put others first and had the most amazing sense of humour.” Everard’s disappearance was initially treated by the Met as a missing persons case but as concerns mounted it was taken over by the specialist crime command. Detectives looked for any clue as to what had happened to her, scouring footage from CCTV cameras and cameras from passing buses, appealing for anyone with dashcam footage from tiny cameras mounted on cars to come forward, as well as appealing for witnesses. Eventually the investigation led to searches in Ashford, Kent, including in woodland where her body was recovered. The kidnapping and death of Everard initiated a national debate about the safety of women in the UK, and whether the criminal justice system was doing enough to protect them and punish those who threaten them. Vigils held around the country passed off largely without incident. One near to the route of Everard’s last known journey, on Clapham Common, south London, saw the Met criticised for alleged heavy-handed tactics, but a report by the policing inspectorate not only cleared police of wrongdoing but praised them for their restraint. The investigation when Everard went missing led to the arrest of Couzens, a serving police officer, which stunned the leadership of the Met. Police officers have to be vetted before they can join and those who are authorised to carry a firearm, as Couzens was, are subjected to further checks to ensure their suitability. He was a member of the parliamentary and diplomatic protection unit and is still a serving police officer. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating other matters sparked by the case, including injuries Couzens sustained while in police custody after his arrest. The IOPC also announced it would be examining the actions of an officer at a search cordon and said: “We will be investigating the conduct of a probationary police constable who was on duty at a cordon supporting the search operation for Ms Everard. “It is alleged they shared an inappropriate graphic with colleagues via social media on Thursday 11 March. Having seen the graphic we can confirm it does not contain photographic images or any other material obtained from or related to the investigation into Ms Everard’s death, or images of her.”