Opportunities were missed to stop sexual predator Wayne Couzens before he killed York woman Sarah Everard, according to women to whom he indecently exposed himself.

The former Metropolitan Police officer is already serving a whole life jail sentence for the kidnap, rape and murder of 33-year-old former Fulford School pupil Ms Everard.

On Monday, Ms Everard’s mother, Susan, watched as the 50-year-old was jailed for 19 months for exposing himself to women on three occasions in the months before.

Couzens gave no reaction as he appeared at the Old Bailey via video-link from Frankland Prison as the victims described in statements the impact of his “sexually aggressive acts”.

A female cyclist said he had robbed her of her “freedom” to enjoy country pursuits after he exposed himself to her in a secluded country lane in Kent in November 2020.

She told him she was left feeling “vulnerable and afraid” and that his actions “left a dark stain on my daily life”.

She said that indecent exposure is sometimes viewed as a “minor offence” but research has shown it can be a “progressive” behaviour.

“I remember vividly being concerned that somebody who could expose themselves to a stranger in such an intimidating way could go on to commit much more serious acts. This is what happened.

“Four months after you exposed yourself to me, you raped and murdered an innocent woman.

“There were opportunities to identify you and they were not taken. I did not feel that, when I reported your crime, it was taken as seriously as I felt that it should have been.

“The horror of what happened will remain with me for the rest of my life.”

A female attendant at a drive-through restaurant in Kent described how Couzens’ indecent exposure made her concerned about walking home alone after a late shift.

She said she was “in shock” at finding out what Couzens had gone on to do, saying: “I could not believe that I had met someone who would go on to be a killer.

“The next thing I saw was a photo of Sarah Everard. Whether I looked for similarities between myself and Sarah, or whether they were really there, I was scared. I felt like that could have been me. I still think about this now.

“I should not have to be in fear of somebody attacking me and I should feel able to walk home while feeling safe.”

Even though the indecent exposure was reported, she was not contacted until after Ms Everard’s murder.

“If he had been held accountable when we had reported the crime, we could have saved Sarah,” she said.

Another worker at the same fast-food restaurant also described her “shock” when Couzens exposed himself to her.

York Press: Wayne CouzensWayne Couzens

Weeping in court as she read her statement, she said: “I was concerned at the time, having studied psychology at university, that males who expose themselves have a tendency to escalate their behaviour.

“When I heard that this had happened before that I had a fear for my colleagues and myself that we could be in danger of this person, which remained until we knew who he was and that he was in custody.”

She felt “sick” when she realised the flasher was the same person arrested over Ms Everard’s disappearance.

She added: “I could not help but feel relieved that it wasn’t me, or that it could have been me.

“At the same time I felt really sorry for Sarah’s family and felt a large amount of survivor’s guilt. I could not imagine how they were feeling or what they were going through.

“My perspective of the police has been altered significantly. Prior to this I did not have a firm opinion of the police as I have been fortunate enough not to require them. However now, while I know the police have a duty of care, my trust in the police to treat me well has been diminished.

“I do not like to tar everyone with the same brush but it has been difficult not to do so after knowing what he did for a living and knowing I could have come across him in uniform and not known what he was capable of.”