Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Joss Stone murder plot / Gang 'conspired to rob and kill'

Joss Stone

Joss Stone murder plot: gang 'conspired to rob and kill'

A gang of criminals conspired to “rob and kill” pop star Joss Stone, a court heard today.

2:01PM GMT 18 Mar 2013

Kevin Liverpool, 35, and Junior Bradshaw, 32, were arrested near the wealthy soul singer's isolated home in Devon after being spotted by “eagle-eyed” locals, a jury was told.

The pair are alleged to have assembled weapons and driven in a Fiat Punto from Manchester to within a short distance of Stone’s house, near Cullompton, where they were held in June 2011.

Exeter Crown Court heard that the “extremely wealthy” 25-year-old singer, whose hits include Fell In Love With A Boy, was at home at the time of the arrests.

^{Kevin Liverpool, left, and Junior Bradshaw in the dock at Exeter Crown Court (Elizabeth Cook/PA)}

Simon Morgan, prosecuting, told jurors: "This case is all about a decision by a group of individuals, of whom these defendants are two, to rob and kill Joss Stone.

"That is not a phrase I have plucked from the air. It is used in documents written by Mr Liverpool during the planning stages of this plot.

"We don't know who the others are but that does not matter. Your concern is whether these two were part of the plot. It doesn't matter what part they took or planned to take.”

He added: “Joss Stone is an extremely wealthy young woman. These defendants drove from Manchester to find her. Fortunately they were not successful, although she was at home.

"They were reported by eagle-eyed people of small communities surrounding Cullompton."

Mr Liverpool and Mr Bradshaw, both from Longsight, Manchester, have pleaded not guilty to conspiring with person or persons unknown between January and June 2011 to murder Stone.

They have also denied conspiring to cause the singer grievous bodily harm and conspiring to rob her.

The trial, which is due to last for around three weeks, continues.

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