Duncan James denies crowbar attack during nanny killer murder trial

Former Blue member Duncan James has defended himself against the claim he threatened someone with a crowbar.

In a written statement, the former Hollyoaks actor, 40, categorically denied the incident had happened.

The star became embroiled in the trial at the Old Bailey where Sabrina Kouider, 35, and Ouissem Medouni, 40, are accused of murdering their au pair Sophie Lionnet, 21.

The couple admit to burning their nanny’s body in their garden in Southfields, but deny murdering her.

The singer admitted that he had met Kouider only once – which was through (and with) Boyzone founder Mark Wilton.

However, when defence lawyer Orlando Pownall QC asked Medouni about an incident where police were called to Kouider’s flat, a man – said to be the boyband singer – ‘threatened him with a crowbar’.

The claim is he was there at Kouider’s Queensway home where the landlord of the property complained that he was physically threatened.

Police had previously been alerted to Kouider after she called them for feeling ‘neglected’ and after threatening to harm herself with a knife on a separate occasion. Apparently, there was ‘concern’ over her well-being when she set a curtain on fire.

Before allegedly striking up a friendship with James, Medouni said that his partner, Kouider, had suffered abuse: ‘She told me she had arguments with Mark and he tried to strangle her and was very violent to her, so I was a bit shocked.’

Kouider says she was ‘good friends’ with James and met him through her ex-partner, Walton, but the singer strongly denied the claim they were remotely close.

In regards to accusations of murder, Medouni says partner Kouider was ‘jealous’ of him talking to their nanny, describing Lionnet as ‘shy’ and that she’d stay in her room reading Harry Potter books. He also revealed the couple had been paying her just £50-a-week, but had stopped payments altogether because his partner was ‘angry at her.’

James’ official response to any involvement was to deny all knowledge of the incident and ever having been in the area:

‘I can categorically state I met Sabrina only once together with Mark Walton in 2012.

‘I have never lived in or near Queensway in W2 and was never involved in any incident with a crowbar. In 2013, I lived in Ealing.’

The trial continues.

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