Mystery deepens as ‘smiley’ Brit Dawn Searle made appointments just before her death alongside husband in French villa

A BRITISH expat appeared “smiley” and positive according to one of the last people to see her alive before she died alongside her husband.

Dawn Searle, 56, was battered to death while partner Andrew, 62, was discovered hanging from a radiator at their rural France home on Thursday, prosecutors said.

Project manager Dawn even made chimney sweep appointments for April for herself and neighbours in her small hamlet.

She had been seen speaking to staff at a fireplace shop in nearby town Villefranche-de-Rouergue in the days before her mysterious death.

The worker who served her said: “Dawn said she felt a little sick, she had the flu, but her mood was very good, smiley”.

Other local shop staff recalled the couple often spending their Sundays teaching English to their French neighbours, bantering about rugby rivalry and eating fish and chips once a month.

Since their "violent deaths", flowers and candles have been left outside their remote retirement home next to a sign offering counselling to shocked residents.

Prosecutors investigating their deaths said Dawn died from a significant head wound after suffering multiple blows to her skull from a blunt and sharp object.

Former financial crime investigator Andrew showed no signs of defensive wounds on his body when found as cops continued to probe whether a marital dispute led to a murder-suicide.

Local prosecutor Nicolas Rigot-Muller insisted all lines of enquiry remain open including whether it was a double homicide “linked either to a financial motive or the deceased’s past”.

Pals of the couple have rejected the theory that Andrew killed Dawn and then himself in a murder-suicide.

They say the couple's relationship was harmonious.

A couple, in their 60s, said: “Us Brits, who knew Dawn and Andy very well, are certain this is not a murder-suicide because of financial difficulties or anything like that.

“They weren’t flashy by any means, but they were definitely comfortable and had it good out here.

Several other questions remained unanswered over the deaths.

It remains unclear when exactly the pair died.

They were found by neighbours around 12.30pm on Thursday - with Andrew's body discovered hanging and Dawn lying outside the front door.

CCTV footage from Wednesday is the last sighting of Andrew, who was seen buying two lottery tickets and a chocolate bar shortly before 6pm.

Past job-hunting criminals

Fears have been raised of the deaths being a targeted assassination carried out by a "hitman" after Andrew's sensitive financial work.

His LinkedIn profile revealed the fluent English, French and German speaker was responsible for “sanctions screening” to stop money flowing to states like Russia.

His sensitive work also involved “Intelligence and anti-bribery and Corruption” plus responsibility for all "Anti-Financial Crime matters in the UK & Europe”.

This would have brought Andrew to the notice of criminal networks working across the globe.

Earlier in his career, he worked as a Group Financial Crime Manager following 14 years as an investigations manager “responsible for the Investigation of internal and external fraud”.

The motive behind their death is unclear with the cause yet not confirmed.

Cash was found in the couple’s bedroom and their home appeared to have been “roughly searched” despite no jewellery being stolen.

Dawn was found undressed but had not been the victim of a sexual assault.