The Met police officer who kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard is seeking to appeal his whole-life term.

Wayne Couzens is one of a select group of the nation's most serious offenders who will die behind bars for their crimes.

But now it has emerged the 48-year-old father-of-two, from Deal, is hoping to be granted an appeal at the Court of Appeal Criminal Division following last month's sentencing.

At the Old Bailey Lord Justice Fulford told Couzens his offences were "of equal seriousness as a murder carried out for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause" due to the abuse of his position.

Couzens will seek to argue the length of the sentence is too severe.

Couzens – at the time a serving member of the Met's elite diplomatic protection unit – snatched 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah from the street in south London.

He had stopped her using his warrant card and performed an 'arrest' quoting coronavirus rules.

He then drove her deep into Kent before raping and murdering her and burning her body in woodland near Ashford.

Her remains were found a week after she went missing.

In the wake of his horrific crimes he first weaved an outlandish yarn about gangsters, prostitutes and debt before switching to no comment when presented with damning evidence.

The Independent Office of Police Conduct is investigating numerous allegations of wrongdoing by officers involved in the case while a inquiry will be launched both by the Met and the government.

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