Sarah Everard, 33, went missing on March 3 after leaving a friend’s house in Clapham, sparking a week-long search that ended when her body was found in woodland near Ashford
The inquest into the death of Sarah Everard will open today after a second post-mortem examination to establish how she was killed was ordered yesterday because the first proved inconclusive.
A coroner will begin proceedings in Maidstone, Kent, as police continue their investigations into what happened to the 33-year-old, whose death has been blamed on arrested Met policeman Wayne Couzens, 38.
It comes after a second post-mortem examination was carried out on Sarah Everard’s body yesterday afternoon after the first proved inconclusive, police said, as officers continued to focus their searches in the historic Cinque Port town of Sandwich.
Miss Everard went missing on March 3 while walking home after visiting a friend in south London. Her body was found in woodland near Ashford in Kent a week later, and serving police officer Couzens, 48, from Deal, also in Kent, has been charged with her murder.
The inquest opening is due to take place at County Hall, Maidstone, at 9.30am this morning.
Yesterday scene of crime officers took away bags of items – including scissors and what appeared to be a long tool handle – from areas in Kent where they were investigating the murder.
The forensic experts, dressed in blue protective suits, could be seen walking away from the four sites of interest in Sandwich near Dover with the plastic bags.
One had a pair of bandage cutting scissors inside while others contained a black item in a smaller zip lock pouch.
What appeared to be the handle to some kind of tool was put into a transparent protective tubing to take away for analysis. Earlier police investigating the murder had cordoned off an abandoned builders’ yard in Kent.
Office had taped up the area in Sandwich, which contains a concrete mixing machine, a skip as well as a green lorry box.
The wasteland was not far from the the areas they have been already searching for any evidence, including Miss Everard’s missing phone.
The bag containing various items were taken away from the scene in Sandwich, Kent, this afternoon as the probe continued
There were two items taken away by forensic experts which appeared to be of interest to the scene investigators
Police have refused to confirm if the site is of interest but is being guarded by officers investigating and searching Sandwich
The hunt for evidence in Sandwich, Kent, has entered a third day with a builders’ yard now taped off by police
It came as divers renewed their underwater hunt as the search of the 300-metre Delf Stream continued for a third day.
Officers had focused on a 50-metre portion of the waters near to the town’s Ropewalk area.
Forensic officers have been concentrating on a specific area in the tourist spot for three days, meticulously rooting through bins, lifting stones and drains for the investigation.
Monday saw them take away a gold necklace discovered on top of a parking ticket machine on the first day of their search.
Then yesterday they delved into the network of drains systems snaking underneath the 4,500-population Medieval town.
But the stream has been of constant interest, with neighbouring Devon and Cornwall Police even providing divers to bolster numbers at one point.
The home of Wayne Couzens, 48, is being guarded by police after they had finished searching the building and garden
Diplomatic Protection Officer Wayne Couzens, 48, has been charged with the murder and kidnap of Miss Everard, 33
Divers are in Delf Stream this morning for a third day as they continue their hunt for evidence including Miss Everard’s phone
Undergrowth was previously carefully combed through by officers as they looked for anything that could be significant
Police on Tuesday switched attention to the network of drains underneath Sandwich, Kent, in the second day of searches
Miss Everard’s inquest will open tomorrow in Kent and but a first post mortem into her cause of death was inconclusive.
Sandwich is some 35 miles away from where Sarah’s remains were found last Wednesday in woodland in Ashford, Kent.
The Old Bailey heard yesterday Couzens had finished work in London at least nine hours before she went missing.
Details on the Diplomatic Protection Officer and his shift pattern were disclosed at his first crown court appearance on Tuesday morning.
Couzens, who had a large injury on his head and black left eye, appeared to rock to and fro during the hearing.
It was told he faced a trial of up to four weeks, which has been pencilled in for the start of October.
The Met Police revealed that Couzens joined the force two years ago in September 2018 when he worked for a response team covering the Bromley area.
He then moved to the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command in February last year.
The vigil at Clapham Common on Saturday night saw police clash with attendees and scenes were officers restrained women
The searches have come as Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick remains at the centre of a political storm after a vigil held to remember Sarah on Clapham Common on Saturday night saw scenes of police restraining and arresting women.
Boris Johnson on Monday threw his support behind her when he was asked if he still had full confidence in her.
He said: Yes, I do. The police do have a very, very difficult job. But there’s no question that the scenes that we saw were very distressing and so it is right that Tom Winsor, the inspector of constabulary, should do a full report into it.’
Home Secretary Priti Patel described footage of the vigil as ‘distressing’ but she added: ‘I continue to urge everyone, for as long as these regulations are in place, not to participate in large gatherings or attend protests.
‘The right to protest is the cornerstone of our democracy but the government’s duty is to prevent more lives being lost during this pandemic.’
A snap poll showed the public was divided on whether the vigil should have gone ahead.
The YouGov survey showed 40 per cent of Britons argue the event should have been permitted, while 43 per cent said it should not have continued.
There was also a slight gender divide, with 42 per cent of women backing the vigil, compared to just 38 per cent of men.