Britain's Got Talent finalist who sang in memory of her dead son stabbed to death in Battersea

A woman who was murdered in Battersea has been identified as a Britain's Got Talent finalist who performed in a choir after her son died from a blood disorder.

Simonne Kerr, a nurse at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, was found suffering from a knife wound by police at an address in south west London on Wednesday afternoon.

The 31-year-old sang for 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.

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

Desmond Sylva, 40, from Battersea, has been charged with her murder. 

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

Police reassured residents, telling them: “It's not gang-related.” Scotland Yard said detectives are not looking for any other suspects.

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

The B Positive choir was a wild card entry to the final of Britain’s Got Talent this year, losing out to comedian Lost Voice Guy.

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

The group of NHS nurses and doctors left BGT judges Amanda Holden and Alehsa Dixon in tears with their powerful rendition of Rise Up.

She discovered she was a sickle cell disease carrier during a routine 12-week pregnancy scan.

Kavele's father was screened and discovered that he was also a carrier for the disease as well, giving their son a one in four chance of being a carrier.

Kavele was diagnosed at only five days old after a heel-prick test.

At the time of the competition she said: “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. I lost him in 2015.”

She added: “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.”

Ms Kerr studied to become a nurse, qualifying in January 2018 and joined Guys' and St Thomas' Hospital, in February 2018 as a staff nurse in Haematology and Oncology.