The Metropolitan Police Service is facing fierce criticism after it emerged that Sam Gould, a Labour Party aide, remained free to commit a second indecent exposure offence, despite officers having his vehicle registration after an earlier report.
In February, a woman immediately reported Gould for masturbating in public in Hornchurch, providing police with his number plate. However, no arrest was made, and a month later Gould targeted a 13-year-old girl in Romford, exposing himself and chasing her as she fled in fear.
Gould, 33, from Lodge Court, Hornchurch, was a former Labour councillor in Redbridge and senior aide to Ilford North MP Wes Streeting. He was sacked from his political role and resigned from the council following his arrest.
“Shades of Wayne Couzens”
Romford residents have expressed outrage, drawing chilling comparisons to the case of Wayne Couzens, the Met officer who murdered Sarah Everard in 2021 after earlier flashing incidents were ignored.
Reader comments on the Romford Recorder described the Met’s inaction as “shades of what happened with Couzens,” highlighting the persistent failures in policing indecent exposure offences.
Timeline of Failures
- February 9, 2025: Gould exposed himself to a female dog walker in Hornchurch. Despite the victim immediately reporting his registration number, Gould remained at large.
- March 8, 2025: Gould targeted a 13-year-old girl on Hainault Road, Romford, exposing himself before pursuing her in his car and on foot.
Both incidents were described in court as “sexually predatory behaviour.
Gould pleaded guilty to two counts of committing an act of outraging public decency with intent and received a suspended prison sentence with a rehabilitation order on Monday, April 28, 2025.
Women’s Safety Groups Condemn Met Police
Jamie Klingler, co-founder of Reclaim These Streets, slammed the Met’s handling of the case:
This shows that nothing has changed since Sarah Everard’s murder. Indecent exposure continues to be treated like a minor issue instead of the gateway crime it is.
She added that it was particularly insulting that the second incident occurred on International Women’s Day, while the Met was holding events claiming to prioritise women’s safety.
