Brit couple found dead in France in 'murder-suicide' after severe financial problems

Investigators looking into a British husband who is believed to have murdered his wife before killing himself in their home in France have named the couple.

John Boyes, 64, is said to have repeatedly hit and then strangled Kathryn Boyes, 65, before leaving her mutilated corpse on a sofa.

Investigators say he then made his way to an outhouse in their grounds in the village of Boudrac, south of Toulouse, and took his own life.

Local gendarmes found the bodies on Sunday, although it is believed they both died last Thursday.

Public prosecutor Christophe Amunzateguy said: "She had been dead for some days and had a rope around her neck.

"Wounds were also found on her body – there were signs of strangulation and blows.

"There was no evidence of a third party being involved."

He added a note left by Mr Boyes pointed to financial difficulties.

The couple, who were both British, are thought to have moved to the area to turn the property into a B&B before experiencing severe financial problems.

They moved to France around a decade ago before settling in Boudrac, which has a population of around 130, last summer.

They bought a series of buildings in Boudrac for around £200,000 with the intention of converting them into a B&B business.

But as the project became more expensive, their savings began to run out and they found themselves with ‘severe financial problems,’ said Mr Amunzateguy.

A near neighbour said: "They were very nice people who would often be out walking their dog.

"They mixed well with everyone else in the village, including joining in games of petanque. They were very typical, nice British people.

"People said they had stopped hearing their dog barking, and that’s why there were fears something might have happened."

Mr Amunzateguy said autopsies were being performed on each of the bodies on Tuesday, to try and confirm causes of death.

The Boyes’s dog is thought to have been found inside one of the buildings, and was unharmed.

The area around Boudrac, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, is full of expats and second home-owners from Britain.