This is the moment a British expat stabbed to death in France was seen smiling and dancing with her secret lover in a clip filmed just five months ago.
Karen Carter throws an arm in the air to Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive’ as she playfully bumps hips with businessman Jean-Francois Guerrier on a packed dance-floor.
The care-free moment was recorded in December outside Café Village, a bar where Mrs Carter and Mr Guerrier worked closely together in the tranquil Dordogne hamlet of Trémolat.
The footage was taken during a live music event hosted by the café every Wednesday, in which a British couple set up a fish and chip van right outside the bar.
Mrs Carter, 65, a mother-of-four, was stabbed to death in a frenzied attack outside her converted farmhouse last Tuesday evening after returning from a wine tasting event.
Locals believe the grisly murder to be a crime of passion and police have stated they believe the suspect may have held a ‘grudge’ about her new relationship with Mr Guerrier, a former managing director of Fujitsu Services who found her body.
Her husband, Alan Carter, was expected to fly to France this afternoon from his home in East London, South Africa having spoken of a ‘betrayal’ at his wife’s dalliance with the 74-year-old.
His wife had travelled to Trémolat, some 65 miles east of Bordeaux, by herself last month and had been spending more time alone in the French countryside, where she and her husband had three rental properties.
Mrs Carter and Mr Guerrier could be seen dancing together in a video shared on Facebook
The carefree moment was recorded in December outside Café Village, a bar where Mrs Carter and Mr Guerrier worked closely together
It has since transpired that Mrs Carter had been dating retired businessman Jean-François Guerrier (pictured) who has a farmhouse close to the Carters’ holiday home
Karen Carter (pictured with husband Alan) was found dead on her property in the village of Trémolat, east of Bordeaux, after returning from a night out on Tuesday, April 29
On the night she died, Mrs Carter had enjoyed a wine-tasting event Mr Guerrier had hosted at his large, gated compound in the hills overlooking the village.
She left some time around 10pm, driving home in her Dacia Duster.
Mr Guerrier checked on her shortly afterwards and found her sprawled on her driveway by her car in a pool of blood.
She had been stabbed eight times her chest, groin, arm and leg.
Despite the best efforts of medics, she died at the scene from severe blood loss.
A post-mortem examination revealed she most likely ‘tried to defend herself from a frenzied attack’.
Mr Guerrier was initially questioned but subsequently released by French authorities.
Mr Carter, 65, had been unaware of his wife’s tryst, initially claiming she had just been ‘good friends’ with Mr Guerrier.
Karen Carter, a 65-year-old married mother, was found outside a property she ran in the village of Trémolat on Tuesday evening after going for drinks at the Cafe Village
Ms Carter is believed to have arrived at her home 10 minutes before Guerrier found her
The victim was the owner and manager of two guest houses in Trémolat, and both were frequently used by guests from the UK
A friend found the 65-year-old woman lying near her vehicle with five deep wounds caused by a blunt object at her home in the village of Tremolat in the Dordogne on Tuesday evening
However, he admitted the revelation had confirmed his worst fears, telling The Times: ‘What has come out of this investigation has confirmed a relationship I did not want to believe, and that had been denied to me repeatedly by [my] wife.’
Despite being partners of 30 years, Mr Carter said he had suspected his wife of being unfaithful and raised concerns over the amount of time she had been spending with Mr Guerrier.
The tensions came as the pair had been locking horns over where they should spend their later lives since purchasing their Trémolat home in 2009.
Mrs Carter had become engrossed in village life and the pair grew more distant – spending most of their time on different continents.
Speaking to the newspaper, Mr Carter added: ‘It was so obvious that Jean-François had an affection for Karen, and I feel he took advantage of the time we were spending apart.’
‘I felt the Café Village attracted a lonely bunch of people who had nothing else to throw their lives into. I felt they were having a strong influence on Karen, and she really did not know that much about them.’
Mr Carter was last with his wife three weeks ago, when she visited South Africa with Trémolat’s over-fifties women’s football team.
He last spoke to her on the morning of her death and only learnt about it the next afternoon from a cousin who had read a post on Café Village’s Facebook page.
The body of Karen Carter, a 65-year-old married mother of four, was found outside a property she ran in the village of Trémolat, east of Bordeaux, on Tuesday evening
Mr and Ms Carter spent their time between their homes in France and South Africa
Mr Carter will reunite with his four children for the small funeral he is now arranging in Trémolat.
Mr Guerrier has been lying low since finding his lover’s body and has been unavailable for comment.
He was, up until a month ago, the chairman of the village committee which would meet regularly at the premises. He tendered his resignation to allow someone else to takeover the role.
Speaking at his home, a female relative, who spoke with an English accent, said briefly: ‘He doesn’t want to say anything but he’s fine.’
The holiday gîte the Carters ran, a converted farmhouse and barn called Les Chouettes – or The Owls – sleeps 16 people and is on a road popular with British expats.
It remains cordoned off by police tape with officers having searched surrounding woodland for a possible murder weapon.
A 69-year-old woman, known to Ms Carter was arrested and her property in the village searched but she too was released without charge last Friday.
