Chief Constable Stephen Watson has expressed his horror at the Metropolitan Police officer who murdered Sarah Everard - but argued it was such a unique crime that it should not 'upset the balance of trust' between the police and the public.
Wayne Couzens abducted the 33-year-old as she walked home from a friend's house in south London on 3 March as part of a fake arrest. Then he murdered her.
Today as he was handed a 'whole life' term the Met commissioner Dame Cressida Dick admitted the horrific crime had 'shaken' public confidence in policing.
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GMP's chief constable Stephen Watson also expressed his outrage, revealing his daughter was also called Sarah, but he argued the crime was so unusual it should not 'upset the balance of trust' between the public and police.
He said: "I have of course to reflect the understandable and dreadful anguish of the family of Sarah Everard. I heard only just this morning the testimony and statement of her mother in court. It brings tears to your eyes.
"I have a daughter who could have been Sarah. In fact, my daughter is called Sarah. Wayne Couzens betrayed absolutely every scintilla of what we stand for as a service. He's a despicable person who deserves the full force of the law."
Asked whether police had now to rebuild the confidence of the public at a press conference about a damning watchdog report which criticised GMP, the top cop said: "All I can say is I have been a police officer for 33 years. I have never seen anything like this. Every person I serve with and every person within the force is as appalled as I am as to the behaviour of this man.
"The public, of course, are right to question how a police officer came to abuse his position... all I would argue is this man is not typical of our police and I don't think it should upset the balance of trust between the police and public."
Couzens lied from the very moment he came across Sarah Everard as she walked home one evening in March.
The serving Metropolitan Police officer, 48, has today (September 30) been handed a whole life order at the Old Bailey for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard.
Sentencing Couzens for the murder of Ms Everard, Lord Justice Fulford said the circumstances of the case are "devastating, tragic and wholly brutal".
The judge said Ms Everard was “a wholly blameless victim” of a “grotesque” series of offences which culminated in her death and disposal of her body.
The evidence gathered against Couzens was “unanswerable” and there was “no credible innocent explanation” for it, he said.
After clocking off from a 12-hour shift that morning, Couzens used his handcuffs and warrant card to snatch Ms Everard as she walked home from visiting a friend in Clapham, south London, on the evening of March 3.
A passing couple witnessed the kidnapping but mistook it for an arrest by an undercover officer, the court heard.
The firearms officer then drove to a secluded rural area near Dover in Kent, where he parked up and raped Ms Everard.
He then strangled the 33-year-old marketing executive with his police belt by 2.30am the following morning.
