The Serpent on BBC has both shocked and engrossed viewers this month. The true-crime series tells the harrowing true story behind killer and conman Charles Sobhraj, who murdered a number of backpackers in the 1970s in Nepal, India and Thailand.
MORE: Where is The Serpent character Marie-Andrée Leclerc now?
In the eight-part drama, Marie-Andree Leclerc (who uses the guise Monique), acts as his accomplice in the many heinous poisonings and murders he commits. But in real life, Nadine Gires, their neighbour who helped authorities capture the criminal, has revealed the story is slightly different.
WATCH: The Serpent on BBC - official trailer
In an interview with The Mirror, Nadine said: "I felt sorry for Marie-Andrée because she was a sad and simple person, not the movie star we see in the series. And she was Charles' prisoner. She told me, 'I have no passport, no money and if I try to leave he will kill me'."
Charles' former neighbour, now 67, added further: "Charles is a monster and I am terrified of him – I used to sleep with a baseball bat under my bed. But when Charles was arrested I celebrated with a bottle of champagne.
MORE: Viewers are saying same thing about Nadine in The Serpent episode four
MORE: Where is The Serpent's Nadine Gires now?
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Mathilde Warnier as Nadine in The Serpent
"I don't feel guilty because I know I did everything I could to put a stop to the murders. And I can tell you it was a good lesson. Now I am very careful with the people I meet."
Nadine, who is portrayed in the BBC series by French actress Mathilde Warnier, went on to live a very private life with her husband in Thailand shortly after Charles was reprimanded – however the couple then later divorced.
Marie-Andree is played by Jenna Coleman
Today, it's reported that Nadine lives on a beach resort in Thailand where she runs a business. Her ex-husband, meanwhile, works further north of the country where he grows tropical fruit to sell at local markets.
Like Charles, Marie-Andrée was captured by authorities in 1976 after an attempt to poison three young students didn't go according to their plan. Charles was given a life sentence, while Marie-Andrée was imprisoned and accused of complicity in the murders of other victims Jean-Luc Solomon and Avoni Jacob.
After her conviction for murder, she was released after an appeal, under the condition that she was not allowed to leave the country. However, a cancer diagnosis in the earlier 1980s meant Marie-Andrée could return to her home city Quebec to receive treatment. She died in 1984 from the disease aged 38.
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