UK NEWS

SHE WAS A MONSTER

Jamila M'Barek

Thursday May 24,2007

By Nick Fagge

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THE prostitute lover of the Earl of Shaftesbury told yesterday how he feared his estranged wife was about to murder him.

A few weeks later, he was strangled, a court heard.

Moroccan prostitute Nadia Orche told the French court that the 66-year-old Earl was so afraid of his wife Jamila M’Barek – who had allegedly bragged of knowing Arab assassins – that he would meet her only in a public place.

During her tearful testimony, Ms Orche called Jamila a “coward” who hid behind her violent brother Mohammed and scheming family. She said: “Jamila was a monster. After he separated from Jamila, the Lord feared for his life.

“He was afraid of going to her apartment because she always had people there with her, especially her brother Mohammed.”

Ms Orche, 36, adorned in gold jewellery and wearing tight white jeans, said that Jamila treated her husband “like a cash machine”.

But she said he had finally found love with her and dreamed of marrying her and having a daughter.

“I loved him with all my heart,” said Ms Orche. “He was a fantastic man, sincere and even naive. He wanted a daughter with me and said it would be called Raspberry because his mother loved raspberries.

“He always had a picture of his mother and Frances (his sister) on him. These were the two women he loved all his life. The third would have been our baby.”

Lady Frances Ashley-Cooper, who has watched the proceedings with the 12th Earl, 27-year-old Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, then broke down in tears.

Ms Orche added that when the Earl brought her and Jamila, 45, together weeks before his death, Jamila “jumped on the bed and said, ‘We are going to make love all three of us’ ”.

He was killed at Jamila’s £1million flat on November 5 2004. His body was dumped in a ravine and lay undiscovered for five months.

The prosecution claim it was murder organised by Jamila, who feared losing her life of luxury, and carried out by her brother Mohammed.

Mohammed M’Barek, 43, has admitted killing the Earl in a drunken row but maintains it was an accident.

Jamila, who has allegedly had extensive cosmetic surgery to her face and breasts, denies that she was involved.

But the court heard that she moved £100,000 to her brother’s bank account after the Earl’s death.

The trial continues.