Stabbed to death, nurse who joined BGT choir af ter losing son aged 6
AN NHS nurse and gospel singer who performed in the final of Britain’s Got Talent has been found stabbed to death.
Simonne Kerr, 31, was discovered with fatal injuries at a flat in a wealthy area of south-west London known as the ‘Nappy Valley’.
She had dedicated her life to raising awareness of sickle cell anaemia after the death of her six-year-old son Kavele in 2015.
The young mother trained as a nurse specialising in blood medicine before working at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in the capital.
She was part of the NHS choir B Positive, formed to raise awareness of the importance of blood donations, which made it to the final stage of the ITV talent show in June.
The wildcard entrants brought the judges to tears with their gospel-inspired vocals but lost out to comedian Lost Voice Guy.
Police said Miss Kerr was attacked in a Victorian end-of-terrace flat in Battersea, an area popular with affluent young families.
Paramedics were called and battled for almost an hour to try to save her life before she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 40-year-old man was arrested at the property on suspicion of murder. Neighbours said he owns a nearby Nigerian restaurant.
Miss Kerr’s death has given way to what is believed to be the 91st homicide investigation in London this year. Officers are not looking for any other suspects.
Miss Kerr, who lived in Wembley, sought solace in music following the death of her son from complications linked to the inherited blood disorder.
She was a community volunteer at the Sickle Cell Society and campaigned tirelessly in Kavele’s memory, overseeing a peace garden opened in his name last year.
She went on to train as a nurse, qualifying in January before working as a staff nurse in haematology and oncology.
Speaking ahead of her final TV performance, Miss 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.’ Sickle cell is caused by red blood cells that assume an abnormal shape, reducing their flexibility and leading to the risk of various complications.
According to the NHS, it is particularly common among those of Afro-Caribbean heritage. Miss Kerr discovered she was a sickle cell disease carrier during a routine scan and Kavele was diagnosed at only five days old.
She added: ‘I got to spend six wonderful years watching Kavele grow and though there were a handful of hospitalisations in his short life, I was positive that he would live a full life into adulthood.
‘Singing can be such an uplifting experience so joining the B Positive choir seemed the obvious way to raise awareness of the urgent need for more young and black people to give blood while doing something positive and motivational.’
Forensic investigators remained at the property yesterday as officers told neighbours the attack was ‘not gang-related’.
Residents described how armed police officers broke down the front door at around 12.30pm on Wednesday.
Mother-of-three Vickie Foot, 43, who lives nearby, described the killing as ‘absolutely shocking’. She described how the handcuffed suspect looked ‘quite calm’ as he was taken into custody on suspicion of murder.
She 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.’
Miss Kerr’s family were being comforted by specially-trained officers while a post-mortem examination took place.
Last night Desmond Sylva, of south-west London, was charged with Miss Kerr’s murder.
He will appear at Wimbledon magistrates’ court today.
‘She sought solace in music’