First pic of pal who found murdered Brit mum in French village after ‘only leaving her for 10mins’ before horror attack

THE pal that discovered murdered Brit Karen Carter in rural France has been named.

Jean-Francois Guerrier is understood to have discovered the 65-year-old’s body outside her home in Trémolat, east of Bordeaux.

He had only left her for "10 minutes" before she was killed in the savage attack, according to Begerac prosecutor Sylvie Martin-Guedes.

Guerrier was president of the community association that ran the village bar where they both worked.

Mum-of-four Karen was stabbed to death on Tuesday night.

A 69-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with her murder.

Prosecutors previously said they arrested the man who found her body.

They added: "He had discovered her collapsed and unconscious near his vehicle."

The man was briefly detained by detectives for questioning, but was released within a few hours.

She is understood to have attended a wine tasting at the Café Village earlier in the evening.

The woman’s husband, Alan, 65, who is still in South Africa, said: "What I understand is that Karen went to a wine-tasting event on Tuesday night.

He explained that his wife "was supposed to phone him [her friend] to let him know that she had got back safely".

He said: "It was a ten-minute drive.

"I don't know if Karen phoned, but when he couldn't get through to her he drove to see if anything was wrong and found her unconscious next to her car.” 

Her husband also fears that she was killed by someone holding a grudge.

He added: "I don't know the details but I understand the attack was vicious and deliberate and not like it was by an interrupted intruder. 

"It is likely to have been someone Karen knew and had an issue with her.

"But she was a kind and friendly person and got on with people.

"I am just speculating but the person who did it could have been someone she knew and perhaps I knew too."

It comes after a manhunt was launched for the tragic Brit's killer.

An autopsy revealed Karen was killed "as she tried to defend herself from a frenzied attack".

Carter "collapsed and died of her injuries" next to to her car in Trémolat, in the Dordogne region, on Tuesday evening.

She was outside her home in the village, which has a population of around 600, following the night out with friends.

A local football team for that Carter played for will tonight pay tribute to her at a game in the Basque Country.

The Queens of Football (Reines du Foot) side - nicknamed the "Football Grannies" - will observe a minute's silence before the game. Players will also wear black armbands, local media reported.

Mrs Carter was one of 18 players who flew to South Africa last month to take part in the "Grandma's World Cup" tournament.