Harshita Brella's neighbour heard row and woman sounding 'scared' day before body found

Harshita Brella’s body was discovered in the boot of a car in east London on Thursday, and now one of her neighbours has revealed she heard an argument inside her home the day before

A neighbour has told how she heard an aggressive argument take place between a man and a woman in Harshita Brella’s house on the same day police were contacted about the victim’s welfare.

Single mum Kelly Philp, 41, who lives next door to Harshita, told the Mirror a female sounded scared during the row. Her bedroom shares a wall with a room in Harshita’s house, she said.

“I heard a commotion between a man and a woman and I heard banging around,” she said. They were arguing in a different language so I couldn’t understand what was being said.

“But it sounded angry and there were raised voices and the woman sounded scared. I had a funeral to attend the day after and had my own daughter to look after so I didn’t call police - I just thought it was a relationship argument.”

She said in the early hours of Saturday morning she heard a back gate slam loudly and two men arguing, again in a foreign language. “My initial feeling when I saw police was that someone must have been hurt as I already had my suspicions," Ms Philp said.

“I feel really on edge now and vulnerable. I feel so sad about the loss of the lass. I can’t get over it, I can’t believe it."

She said recently the home had been occupied by around five people, who she thinks are Eastern European, and believes Harshita lived there for around a year. Last year up to 12 residents were living there, she said, adding that people ‘come and go’ from the property.

Police said Ms Brella may have been the victim of a “targeted incident” and have launched a murder inquiry. “Fast track” enquiries were made after the force was contacted by a member of the public on Wednesday with concerns about Ms Brella’s welfare.

Officers were sent to her home in Skegness Walk, Corby, but after getting no answer they launched a missing person investigation. This led to the discovery of her body inside a car boot on Thursday.

A post mortem - conducted at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday - established Ms Brella was murdered.

Harshita was previously the victim of domestic violence and in early September was made subject of a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) at Northampton Magistrates’ Court.

The order, which only lasted 28 days, banned the perpetrator of the violence from visiting her workplace, Northamptonshire Police confirmed today.

The person was prevented from molesting her, from threatening violence, or intimidating, harassing or pestering her, and also told not to encourage or instruct others to contact her in any way.

The order was served by Northamptonshire Police and implemented by magistrates. No formal charges against the same person have since been recorded by the court and they were released following the court hearing but ordered to pay the full costs.