The ex-girlfriend of a former Boyzone star has been charged with murdering her French nanny and burning her body in the garden of her £900,000 flat.
Sabrina Kouider, 34, had hired Sophie Lionnet, 21, to look after her children - including a son she had with ex-boyfriend Mark Walton, who founded the Irish boyband and is now a Pop Idol judge living in LA.
Concerned parents walking their children home from school in Southfields reported a large blaze and ‘foul-smelling smoke’.
Police were called to her Edwardian end-of-terrace home in the affluent South London suburb, after a curious boy of eight scaled the back garden gate and saw a huge bonfire with a man throwing what he thought were ‘sticks’ on the flames.
Kouider was arrested at the scene along with Ouissem Medouni, 40, and both have now been charged with murder of the French au pair, who was allegedly earning around £50 per month.
Police were called to her Edwardian end-of-terrace home in the affluent South London suburb, after a curious boy of eight scaled the back garden gate and saw a huge bonfire with a man throwing what he thought were ‘sticks’ on the flames.
Kouider was arrested at the scene along with Ouissem Medouni, 40, and both have now been charged with murder of the French au pair, who was allegedly earning around £50 per month.
Friends said she was unhappy and returning home to her parents in Troyes on Monday, which is 110 miles south-west of Paris.
Kouider and former Boyzone co-founder Mr Walton split several years ago. He now lives in Los Angeles, working as an 'International A&R Consultant,' according to his LinkedIn page.
He is also one of the judges on the Vietnamese version of Pop Idol.
She has had Sophie, who is from a poor French family, was living in her little home for 14 months.
The friend said: ‘Sophie had been unhappy for a long time – so unhappy she left to stay with one of her few friends for two nights last month.
‘She had finally decided to go home though, and had just asked her mum to send her £40 so she could afford the fare.
'She was supposed to have gone back on Monday. She never arrived. Sabrina was always a real party girl, out smiling with friends. She was very different with Sophie at home.’
'I was the lead singer,' he told The Irish Sun in May last year.
'The boys felt it was my band and there were articles written about this 15-year-old boy who had put this band together.
Kouider and former Boyzone co-founder Mr Walton split several years ago. He now lives in Los Angeles, working as an 'International A&R Consultant,' according to his LinkedIn page.
He is also one of the judges on the Vietnamese version of Pop Idol.
When officers arrived at 6.30pm on Wednesday, the body was so badly burned they could not establish her age or even gender. But the victim was named locally as Sophie Lionnet, 21, a nanny from Troyes, a town in north-eastern France.
The Frenchwoman, who came to London to learn English, is thought to have been living with Miss Quider at her flat for 14 months caring for her three-year-old daughter and son aged six.
It is not known what relationship she has with fellow murder suspect Medouni.
The Frenchwoman, who came to London to learn English, is thought to have been living with Miss Quider at her flat for 14 months caring for her three-year-old daughter and son aged six.
It is not known what relationship she has with fellow murder suspect Medouni.
Neighbours said the French-Algerian mother, who claims to work as a stylist, make-up artist, fashion designer and songwriter, ‘had a lot of money’ and a busy social life, relying on her nanny to work long hours for £50 a month.
On social media, Miss Kouider posed for glamorous pictures on nights out at various restaurants.
One friend of the victim said: ‘She came here to learn English, but found it very difficult here.
On social media, Miss Kouider posed for glamorous pictures on nights out at various restaurants.
One friend of the victim said: ‘She came here to learn English, but found it very difficult here.
'Sabrina liked her social life and liked going out with her friends. There always seemed to be plenty of money'.
She has had Sophie, who is from a poor French family, was living in her little home for 14 months.
The friend said: ‘Sophie had been unhappy for a long time – so unhappy she left to stay with one of her few friends for two nights last month.
‘She had finally decided to go home though, and had just asked her mum to send her £40 so she could afford the fare.
'She was supposed to have gone back on Monday. She never arrived. Sabrina was always a real party girl, out smiling with friends. She was very different with Sophie at home.’
The friend added: ‘The father of [Miss Kouider's]son left some time ago and she has a new boyfriend, who is also French Algerian. It was him who introduced Sabrina to Sophie.’
Mark Walton says he is a co-founder of Boyzone, having put together the band in 1993 while still a teen before meeting future manager Louis Walsh and '[asking] him to get involved.''I was the lead singer,' he told The Irish Sun in May last year.
'The boys felt it was my band and there were articles written about this 15-year-old boy who had put this band together.
'Then these articles would start appearing with photos of Boyzone and an X over my face and quotes saying I had been "X'd" out of Boyzone.'
Afterwards he went on to found another pop group, 5th Avenue, and to manage boyband Blue after their reformation in 2011.
Walton says he was then approached by Nicki Minaj and One Direction songwriter Wayne Hector.
'I ended up becoming the CEO of his record label, which I ran for ten years,' he said. 'Louis came to our company many times without even knowing I was there... But any time I met him since he'd say, "You're that fella that used to be in Boyzone."'
Afterwards he went on to found another pop group, 5th Avenue, and to manage boyband Blue after their reformation in 2011.
Walton says he was then approached by Nicki Minaj and One Direction songwriter Wayne Hector.
'I ended up becoming the CEO of his record label, which I ran for ten years,' he said. 'Louis came to our company many times without even knowing I was there... But any time I met him since he'd say, "You're that fella that used to be in Boyzone."'
Walton now says that he is a billionaire with a desire to combat issues such as homelessness child trafficking in Ireland and LA.
Sophie was particularly shocked in June 2015 when two sisters studying at Ande Malraux were attacked with a knife.
She wrote on social media: ‘The college of Paron – my old college – is in shock after the attack with a knife of two sisters. The adolescent is in custody’.
The 14-year-old responsible was later dealt with by a youth court, while the sisters escaped with non-life threatening injuries.
Sophie was originally from the city of Troyes, around three miles from Sens, in the Aube department of France.
Her mother is believed to be 54-year-old Corinne Lionnet, who still lives in Troyes. Mrs Lionnet was not at her home today.
Other posts by Sophie on social media revealed an adventurous young women who loved art, cinema and ice skating.
One set of pictures showed her posing in her skates at the Trois Seines ice rink in Troyes, while in another she is with the French film actor Kevin Miranda, 30.
‘It was just brilliant to see him!’ wrote Sophie, referring to the encounter in the Burgundy city of Auxurre.
Sophie was prone to posting motivational comments. One of the last she wrote was: “I may be a fighter, but my lucky star is soaring.”
Sophie was particularly shocked in June 2015 when two sisters studying at Ande Malraux were attacked with a knife.
She wrote on social media: ‘The college of Paron – my old college – is in shock after the attack with a knife of two sisters. The adolescent is in custody’.
The 14-year-old responsible was later dealt with by a youth court, while the sisters escaped with non-life threatening injuries.
Sophie was originally from the city of Troyes, around three miles from Sens, in the Aube department of France.
Her mother is believed to be 54-year-old Corinne Lionnet, who still lives in Troyes. Mrs Lionnet was not at her home today.
Other posts by Sophie on social media revealed an adventurous young women who loved art, cinema and ice skating.
One set of pictures showed her posing in her skates at the Trois Seines ice rink in Troyes, while in another she is with the French film actor Kevin Miranda, 30.
‘It was just brilliant to see him!’ wrote Sophie, referring to the encounter in the Burgundy city of Auxurre.
Sophie was prone to posting motivational comments. One of the last she wrote was: “I may be a fighter, but my lucky star is soaring.”
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