After badly burnt body of their au pair was found in garden

Victim Sophie Lionnet. Image: Facebook

40-year-old Ouissem Medouni and 34-year-old Sabrina Kouider of Pulborough Road appeared at the Old Bailey this Tuesday (26 September) accused of murder after the badly burned body of their au pair was found in their garden last Wednesday.

Sabrina Kouider. Picture: Facebook

The body was too badly charred to establish identity without further tests, but the victim has been named as 21-year-old Sophie Lionnet from Troyes in Northern France.

Miss Lionnet (below) had been looking after Ms Kouider’s two young children, one of whom is reported to be a son that she had with former boyfriend Mark Walton who was once a member of the Irish boyband Boyzone.

The burnt body was discovered after neighbours reported noticing foul smelling smoke coming from the property.

Ms Kouider works in Battersea as a stylist and make-up artist and is reported to have shouted and cried throughout the hearing, claiming that she is innocent of the crime.

Both Mr Medouni and Ms Kouider, who speak French and used an interpreter in court, will stand trail for murder in March next year.

DI Richard Leonard of the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command which is leading the investigation said, "I would like to appeal to those in and around the area to come forward with information. You may well have seen or heard something suspicious in the last few days which could assist our investigators."

Anyone with information that may assist police should call the incident room on 020 8721 4843 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

You can also tweet information to police direct via @MetCC.

September 27, 2017