Simonne Kerr is named as woman stabbed to death in Battersea home

A mother who starred as part of a choir on Britain’s Got Talent after her son died from a blood disorder has been named as the women stabbed to death in Battersea.

Simonne Kerr, a nurse at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, was found suffering from a knife wound by police at her home in south west London yesterday afternoon.

The 31-year-old wowed audiences on ITV after appearing on Britain’s Got Talent as part of the NHS choir B Positive, created to raise awareness for blood donations.

Ms Kerr previously revealed how she took solace in the choir following the death of her son Kavele, 6, from sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder, in 2015. 

The group of NHS nurses and doctors left BGT judges Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon in tears earlier this year with their powerful rendition of the single Rise Up.

She was pronounced dead yesterday in the Victorian terrace flat she was staying in,  despite the efforts of paramedics who battled for nearly an hour to save her.

A 40-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder at the scene, sparking the 90th homicide investigation in the capital this year.

Simonne Kerr (pictured with her six-year-old son Kavele died from complications arising from sickle cell disease in 2015) was stabbed to death yesterday

The 31-year-old wowed audiences on ITV after appearing on Britain's Got Talent as part of the NHS choir B Positive, created to raise awareness for blood donations

The 31-year-old wowed audiences on ITV after appearing on Britain’s Got Talent as part of the NHS choir B Positive, created to raise awareness for blood donations

The group of NHS nurses and doctors left BGT judges Amanda Holden (pictured) and Alesha Dixon in tears with their powerful rendition of Rise Up

The group of NHS nurses and doctors left BGT judges Amanda Holden (pictured) and Alesha Dixon in tears with their powerful rendition of Rise Up

Speaking to the Daily Mirror about the choir and how it helped her cope with her los, Ms Kerr said: ‘When I’m with the choir, I look either side of me and see new friends who have been affected by the same disease which took Kavele.

‘They know the physical and emotional pain of it. We support each other and there’s a real family vibe.

‘When we sing, we don’t just rattle through a song. We sing with real feeling that comes from the bottom of our souls.’

Ms Kerr discovered she was a carrier of sickle cell during a routine screening while pregnant with her son.

Kavele was diagnosed with the condition at birth but Ms Kerr remained hopeful that her son would live a full life.

Speaking to Give Blood, Ms Kerr said: ‘The sickling happened mainly in his tummy and as he got older, he was hospitalised one or two times a year, usually for a few days at a time.

‘Kavele was an active child and he went to school and led as normal a life he could with sickle cell disease.’

On 1 October 2015, Kavele woke early at 5am with a high temperature and vomiting.

Forensic investigators were pictured scouring the scene for evidence today

Forensic investigators were pictured scouring the scene for evidence today

Alesha Dixon (pictured) was brought to tears by the performance of the choir earlier this year

Alesha Dixon (pictured) was brought to tears by the performance of the choir earlier this year

The B Positive choir posted this message on social media hours before they performed in front of the BGT judges in May 

The B Positive choir posted this message on social media hours before they performed in front of the BGT judges in May 

A 40-year-old man was arrested at 12.30pm this afternoon after police were called to a residential street in Battersea

A 40-year-old man was arrested at 12.30pm this afternoon after police were called to a residential street in Battersea

Recalling the day, Simonne continued: ‘I gave Kavele medication and monitored him throughout the morning.

‘However, he became more lethargic and I felt his condition was not improving so I called for an ambulance and was told we would have to wait up to 45 minutes.

‘An hour later I telephoned 999 again because Kavele’s breathing became more laboured.

‘Kavele went into cardiac arrest approximately 20-30 minutes after several ambulance crews started to arrive.

‘He did not recover and passed away in hospital several hours later.’ 

What is sickle cell disease? 

Sickle cell disease is the umbrella term for a group of inherited conditions that severely affect red blood cells.

Around 15,000 people in the UK are sufferers and it is particularly common in people of African or Caribbean descent.

Healthy red blood cells – produced by stem cells within bone marrow – are biconcaved discs that can bend and flex easily.

However, in those with sickle cell disease, faulty stem cells produce red blood cells that are crescent shaped.

They are rigid, unable to squeeze through smaller blood vessels and prone to causing blockages that deprive parts of the body of oxygen. 

Sufferers are not expected to live beyond 60 and treatment mainly focuses on alleviating symptoms, such as pain and infections, through blood transfusions and painkillers.

Police reassured residents, telling them: ‘It’s not gang-related.’

Scotland Yard said detectives are not looking for any other suspects.

The woman’s next-of-kin have been informed and a post-mortem examination was due to take place on Thursday. 

A neighbour described how the 40-year-old arrested by police looked ‘calm’ as he was taken into custody on suspicion of murder. 

He added: ‘I heard someone called the police because they heard screaming and shouting.

‘Everyone’s had their windows open because it’s warm, so I guess someone might have heard it.

‘It’s only a one bedroom flat, so I’m not sure if the children would have lived there.’ 

A woman who lives nearby said of the victim: ‘She has two kids, a six-year-old boy and a three month old.

‘The eldest child is the one that called the police. He found her. My friend lives in the flat below and she told me.

‘She said the woman was ringing her doorbell at 9am, but she couldn’t answer as she’d just had an operation.’

One resident said they saw a young man accompanying a child around the age of six or seven out of the property, and was also holding a baby. 

Armed police were seen breaking down the door at the south London property.

An empty ambulance was seen within the cordon, with an empty stretcher positioned alongside it on the pavement 

An empty ambulance was seen within the cordon, with an empty stretcher positioned alongside it on the pavement 

Armed police were seen breaking down the door at the south London property before a man was arrested 

Armed police were seen breaking down the door at the south London property before a man was arrested 

Another resident said he saw police then leave the house with a folding stepladder.

The end of terrace house in the well-heeled Lavender Hill area, near Clapham Junction, has been cordoned off while police investigate.

Clusters of people watched from the edges of the cordon – some with children in buggies and in their arms.

An empty ambulance was seen within the cordon, with an empty stretcher positioned alongside it on the pavement.

Vickie Foot, a 43-year-old who lives nearby, described the killing as ‘absolutely shocking’ and said she saw the arrest.

‘They handcuffed him and put him into the van. He looked quite calm,’ the mother-of-three said.

Police reassured residents, telling them: ‘It’s not gang-related.’

A neighbour said: ‘My wife and I saw armed police break down the door and enter the house.

Paramedics and forensic investigators in conversation outside the address where the woman was murdered

Paramedics and forensic investigators in conversation outside the address where the woman was murdered

‘We originally thought someone had been shot. One police officer left holding a small stepladder.’

A cordon remained in place this afternoon, although an ambulance that had been at the scene for several hours was driven away. 

It comes as Britain’s top police officer insisted yesterday that Britain was not as violent as America, and a period of apparent ‘lawlessness’ in London was stabilising.

Scotland Yard Commissioner Cressida Dick claimed violence in the capital was waning, despite 88 killings so far this year, compared with 118 in 2017.

She insisted there was far more bloodshed in major US cities, even though in February and March London overtook New York’s murder rate for the first time.

Yesterday, she said the murder rate had slowed in London – adding that there have been 161 killings in New York this year, almost double that in the capital.

Clusters of people watched from the edges of the cordon - some with children in buggies and in their arms

Clusters of people watched from the edges of the cordon – some with children in buggies and in their arms

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