Ministers 'absolutely determined' to strip killer ex-policeman Wayne Couzens of pension

Ministers say they are "absolutely determined" to forfeit the money Couzens would have earned, and are considering introducing new legislation if necessary if needed.

Couzens, a former armed Metropolitan Police officer, abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard, 33, in March 2021.

He had joined the force from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) in 2018, where he had worked for around seven years.

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Couzens, who used his police-issue handcuffs and warrant card to stage a fake arrest to carry out the attack, was sentenced to a whole-life order in September 2021.

Though prisoners cannot claim state pension, there is no automatic ban on other pensions.

It is understood that a complex legal process to forfeit the CNC pension is ongoing, and ministers will introduce new legislation if necessary to ensure Couzens does not receive it, Sky News reported.

It is thought the pension could be worth around £7,000 per year.

In 2023, London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan successfully applied to the then-home secretary to have any money that Couzens could have earned in pension payments while serving at the Metropolitan Police revoked.

But, unlike most police forces which fall under the Home Secretary, the CNC is part of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

While the CNC cannot forfeit pensions itself, the force said it previously made a recommendation to the UK Atomic Energy Authority, its pension authority, that any entitlements arising from Couzens’ time at the CNC should be forfeited.

A DESNZ spokeswoman said: "We are absolutely determined that Wayne Couzens does not receive a Civil Nuclear Constabulary pension, and are actively working on it."