23 May 2023 , 12:29
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An ex-Met Police officer accused of failing to properly investigate Wayne Couzens over flashing incidents has been found guilty of gross misconduct.
Samantha Lee was dishonest about her investigation into evil Couzens over two incidents, a police disciplinary hearing has found.
The former officer was also found to have lied about her actions when later questioned about the interview.
The ex-constable was found by the hearing at Palestra House to have failed to make "the correct investigative inquiries".
She was hauled before a misconduct tribunal in relation to her probe into the killer exposing himself to McDonald's staff prior to abducting, raping and murdering Sarah Everard in March 2021.
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Wayne Couzens was jailed for murdering Sarah Everard (Kent Messenger / SWNS)She quit the force after her OnlyFans profile - in which she goes by 'Officer Naughty' - was discovered by bosses.
The former PC had already been given "words of advice" two years prior for uploading a raunchy video while wearing her uniform on TikTok.
Lee was alleged to have failed to make "the correct investigative inquiries" over two incidents when Couzens exposed himself to female staff members at a restaurant in Swanley, Kent, in the weeks before Miss Everard's death.
The former PC was said to have lied about her actions when questioned, claiming that she believed the CCTV at the restaurant was deleted automatically.
However, Lee told the hearing nothing she could have done “would have changed the tragic outcome”.
Couzens exposed himself on February 14 and 27 2021.
On both occasions, Couzens was seen by female members of staff to have his pants open and his penis on display.
Sarah Everard was abducted and killed in March 2021 (PA)Lee denied all allegations against her.
She had attended the restaurant on March 3 and interviewed manager Sam Taylor, hours before Sarah Everard was kidnapped by Couzens in Clapham, south-west London.
The former officer is alleged to have lied about her actions when later questioned about the interview, as she claimed she believed that CCTV at the restaurant was deleted automatically so there would be no footage of Couzens or the offence.
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Throughout her evidence Lee maintained Mr Taylor told her he did not have any CCTV of the incident.
She told the tribunal that Mr Taylor explained that a photo is taken of the driver when a car pulls up to the order box of the drive-thru, but it is deleted after the driver collects their order.
In his evidence, Mr Taylor said he had shown Ms Lee the footage and told her it could be downloaded on to a USB stick.
Last week, Lee said: “I accept now that there was CCTV and that I should have asked more questions about it.”
Lee was previously warned about a TikTok video she posted
Lee runs an OnlyFans account called 'Officer Naughty'However, she told the tribunal there was nothing she could have done that would have stopped Couzens from kidnapping and murdering Ms Everard.
“I accept that I could have done more around CCTV and evidence gathering, that was errors on my part and I accept that,” she said.
“And as much as I have thought it over and over, I don’t believe that anything I could have done would have changed the tragic outcome of what happened later that day.”
Lee is alleged to have breached the force’s standards on duties and responsibilities as well as honesty and integrity.
If she is found to have committed gross misconduct, she could be banned from serving in the force again.
In March this year, Couzens was sentenced to 19 months in prison after admitting three counts of indecent exposure.
He was already serving life behind bars for the kidnap, rape and murder of Miss Everard on March 3, 2021.
The third indecent exposure incident related to when Couzens exposed himself to a female cyclist on a Kent country lane in November 2020.