"KIND, caring and beautiful", Sarah Everard came to represent women everywhere who feel unsafe on the streets of Britain.

She was killed by a complete stranger who was supposed to protect the public.

Members of her family were in court to hear Wayne Couzens plead guilty to her murder.

The 48-year-old police officer was not himself physically in the courtroom.

He appeared via a video link with Belmarsh Prison where he has been held in custody.

Wearing a light blue sweater and khaki trousers and speaking in a whisper with his head bowed, he admitted he had killed the woman who went to school in York and worked in London as a marketing executive.

He had previously admitted kidnapping and raping her.

Tom Little QC, prosecuting, told the court: "Before the defendant kidnapped Sarah Everard on the South Circular on March 3 this year, he had not previously met her, he did not know her and had no direct or indirect contact with her.

"They were total strangers to each other."

Jim Sturman QC, defending, said: "His pleas today represents a truly guilty plea and remorse for what he did and, as he put it to us this morning, he will bear the burden for the rest of his life - his words: 'as I deserve'."

Speaking of the probe into the murder of Sarah Everard, Lord Justice Fulford said: "This has been a mammoth investigation which has produced some very significant results in terms of being able to understand what happened."

Couzens, of Deal, Kent, will be sentenced at a two-day hearing starting on September 29.

He will receive a life sentence and will learn how long he must serve in prison before he can apply for parole.