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Briton arrested in Nimes murder probe | Briton arrested in Nimes murder probe |
(about 7 hours later) | |
A British man has been arrested in the French town of Nimes in connection with the murder of a 34-year-old jogger. | |
The man, who has not been named, is 32 and from Chatham in Kent, according to the AFP news agency. | The man, who has not been named, is 32 and from Chatham in Kent, according to the AFP news agency. |
He is being questioned over the murder of a mother-of-three, Joudia Zimmat, whose body was found on Thursday in scrubland on the outskirts of Nimes. | |
French police told a press conference the suspect's DNA had been identified on items at the murder scene, AFP said. | |
The man lived with his mother in a neighbourhood of Nimes. Police searched the home on Tuesday morning. | The man lived with his mother in a neighbourhood of Nimes. Police searched the home on Tuesday morning. |
Local police chief Gilles Soulier said: "He is not denying everything but he is not admitting everything either." | |
He said the Briton was arrested because he proved "evasive" when he was questioned about his movements around the time of the murder. | |
'Partially clothed' | 'Partially clothed' |
The BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris said: "The people in Nimes have been urged to be extremely vigilant since the weekend given the nature of the crime. | The BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris said: "The people in Nimes have been urged to be extremely vigilant since the weekend given the nature of the crime. |
"She [the victim] was a mother of three children, she was out jogging on the outskirts of Nimes in southern France and was found late on Thursday, dumped in a thicket near a local cemetery. | "She [the victim] was a mother of three children, she was out jogging on the outskirts of Nimes in southern France and was found late on Thursday, dumped in a thicket near a local cemetery. |
"She was partially clothed and had obviously been sexually assaulted. The post-mortem showed that she had been stabbed several times. Two rocks were also found, which her attacker may have beaten her with as well. | |
"They arrested a man last night, it has been national headlines here." | |
He added: "This morning the 32-year-old was taken in handcuffs to the house he shares with his mother. | |
"In the forensic search police say they recovered a knife with blades similar to the one found at the scene." | |
He is reported to have denied being involved in the woman's death. | |
The semi-clothed body of the woman was found after her children's school alerted her partner that she had failed to pick them up, AFP reported. | The semi-clothed body of the woman was found after her children's school alerted her partner that she had failed to pick them up, AFP reported. |
A box cutter-style knife and two blood-stained stones found nearby are thought to have been the murder weapons. | A box cutter-style knife and two blood-stained stones found nearby are thought to have been the murder weapons. |
Tunisian heritage | Tunisian heritage |
Laure Beccuau, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, said the woman had suffered multiple stab wounds and other injuries. | Laure Beccuau, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation, said the woman had suffered multiple stab wounds and other injuries. |
The victim, a housewife of Tunisian heritage, had three children, aged three, six and nine. | The victim, a housewife of Tunisian heritage, had three children, aged three, six and nine. |
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the arrest of a British national in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found in Nimes. | A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the arrest of a British national in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found in Nimes. |
"Consular officials are liaising with police dealing with the case and stand ready to offer consular assistance." | "Consular officials are liaising with police dealing with the case and stand ready to offer consular assistance." |
"A British man has been arrested. The matter is now being handled by police in Montpellier," a local police spokesman said. | "A British man has been arrested. The matter is now being handled by police in Montpellier," a local police spokesman said. |