Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

French couple sentenced to 30 years over murder of nanny

The couple were convicted last month of the murder, and of attempting to dispose of Sophie Lionnet’s body by burning it.

Sophie Lionnet death court case Sabrina Kouider (left) and Ouissem Medouni Metropolitan Police Metropolitan Police

A FRENCH COUPLE living in London who murdered their au pair and tried to dispose of the body by burning it in their back garden have been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 30 years.

The Old Bailey court in London sentenced Sabrina Kouider, who is undergoing psychiatric treatment, and Ouissem Medouni for the September 2017 killing of 21-year-old Sophie Lionnet.

“She died as a result of purposeful and sustained violence, and not by accident,” state prosecutor Aisling Hosein said when they were convicted last month.

“They were both jointly involved and came up with a plan to try and destroy her body and escape responsibility for this horrendous crime,” she added.

The jurors deliberated for a week before unanimously convicting Kouider and ruling by a majority decision of 10 to 2 on 24 May that her partner Medouni was guilty as well.

Both had denied murdering Lionnet, from Troyes in eastern France, although they had admitted during the two-month trial to burning her body.

Sophie Lionnet death court case Sophie Lionnet PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

The court heard how the couple had interrogated and tortured Lionnet over their belief she was conspiring with one of Kouider’s former boyfriends – Mark Walton, a former member of Irish band Boyzone – who they claimed sexually abused members of their family.

Kouider, who has two children, told London’s Old Bailey court that she hit the au pair “really bad” with an electrical cable.

The victim’s mother called the guilty pair “monsters” in a statement read to court earlier.

Catherine Devallonne said she “fell into shock and was hospitalised” after police broke the news that her daughter, whom she described as a “reserved young girl”, had been killed.

“I’ve been living this nightmare ever since,” she added, explaining that the victim’s brother was suffering from “mental trauma”, and had been placed with a foster family.

“Those monsters beat her to death,” she said. “They left her hungry. They took away her dignity and eventually her life”.

‘Cowardly’ 

Police described how the victim was subjected to a “series of interrogations… over a 12-day period, in a bid to force Sophie to confess to various false crimes they had accused her of”.

Sophie Lionnet death court case Sophie Lionnet, pictured two days before she was found dead PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

Kouider filmed some of the sessions, which they planned to hand over to police as evidence of the nanny’s guilt.

“We will never know the full extent of the horrors Sophie had to endure,” said Scotland Yard detective Domenica Catino.

“Even in death, the torture, abuse and humiliation continued by placing her partially-clothed body into a suitcase with no regard for even a semblance of a burial.

Sophie Lionnet death court case Lionnet's mother, Catherine Devallonne, pictured outside the Old Bailey today Nick Ansell / PA Images Nick Ansell / PA Images / PA Images

“It was clear that together the couple made the decision to torture Sophie and then in a cowardly fashion blamed each other for her death,” added the detective.

Firefighters discovered Medouni trying to burn Lionnet’s body on 20 September at the couple’s home in Southfields, south west London.

Neighbours alerted the authorities after noticing smoke and a “horrible” smell coming from the property.

Firefighter Thomas Hunt told the court that he confronted Medouni after he found human fingers and a nose as he put out the fire.

© – AFP, 2018

Author
View 12 comments
Close
12 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick J. Keating
    Favourite Patrick J. Keating
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 7:15 AM

    Poke a tiger. What happens next?

    77
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Aidy McBride
    Favourite Aidy McBride
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 7:46 AM

    @Patrick J. Keating: he gets an Eagle on a par 4

    93
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Geraghty
    Favourite Michael Geraghty
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 7:47 AM

    @Patrick J. Keating: tiger sex?

    31
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Earth Traveller
    Favourite Earth Traveller
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 9:05 AM

    @Patrick J. Keating: So you would always give in to a bully? The CCP is having a hissy fit and they need to get over themselves.

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Declan Doherty
    Favourite Declan Doherty
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 3:41 PM

    @Earth Traveller: No-one said anything about giving in. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing position. Pelosi went on a solo run to needlessly stoke up tensions and the only people who will ultimately suffer are the Taiwanese.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Patrick J. Keating
    Favourite Patrick J. Keating
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 4:09 PM

    @Michael Geraghty: Don’t forget to let me know how you get on with that.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciaran
    Favourite Ciaran
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 9:09 AM

    Of course they are preparing to invade. Didn’t Russia do / say they were doing the same type of drills before invading Ukraine ?

    Just wondering how many people
    will be putting Taiwan flags up when China does invade …

    62
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Cunningham
    Favourite Paul Cunningham
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 10:12 AM
    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Keth Warsaw
    Favourite Keth Warsaw
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 11:05 AM

    I always appreciated the quality difference of the Taiwan rubber King Kong as compared to the ‘made in china’ version. The Taiwan version always had a bit more character and detail, and more durability…..less ‘perishing’.

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Kavanagh
    Favourite John Kavanagh
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 11:58 AM

    @Keth Warsaw: there also brilliant for shoe for the 1 legged people ….

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eddie O'Neill
    Favourite Eddie O'Neill
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 12:06 PM

    @Keth Warsaw: LOL

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute François Pignon
    Favourite François Pignon
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 10:27 AM

    First hong kong, second ukraine, third taiwan? The russians need china to take taiwan for semiconductors for weapons as they are running out.

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lee King Buckett
    Favourite Lee King Buckett
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 7:55 PM

    @François Pignon: That’s not going to happen at all. Taiwan can’t produce semiconductors without the machinery and raw materials it gets from Europe. Any invasion would see those supplies stop immediately.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute trebloc01
    Favourite trebloc01
    Report
    Aug 9th 2022, 1:33 PM

    Thanks Ms Pelosi

    16
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds