Couple in court over burned body in Southfields garden

  • Published
Ouissem Medouni and Sabrina Kouider
Image caption,
Ouissem Medouni and Sabrina Kouider were remanded in custody and are due at the Old Bailey in December

A man and woman accused of murder after a badly-burned body was found in a London garden will stand trial next year.

Ouissem Medouni, 40, and Sabrina Kouider, 34, both of Wimbledon Park Road, Wandsworth, appeared at the Old Bailey for a preliminary hearing.

The body was found in a garden in Southfields, south-west London.

The victim has been named locally as Sophie Lionnet, 21, a nanny from Troyes, in north-eastern France.

The pair are charged with murdering a "person unknown".

The body - not yet formally identified - was discovered in the back garden of the house last Wednesday afternoon after police were called to reports of a fire.

Police have been unable to tell the age or gender of the victim because the body was so badly charred.

Ms Kouider sobbed throughout the hearing and shouted repeatedly "I haven't done anything" in French.

Image source, Ryan Hooper
Image caption,
An unidentified body was discovered last Wednesday afternoon

Both Mr Medouni and Ms Kouider spoke to confirm their identities, assisted by a French interpreter in court.

The pair were remanded in custody by Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC to appear at the Old Bailey for a plea and trial preparation hearing on 12 December.

The trial is expected to start in March.