Thursday, July 19, 2018

Joss Stone 'targeted in murder plot over links to Royals'

Joss Stone

Joss Stone 'targeted in murder plot over links to Royals'

A gang plotted to rob and murder Joss Stone, the pop star, because of her connections to the Royal family, a court heard today.

5:56PM GMT 18 Mar 2013

Equipping themselves with a samurai sword, body bags, balaclavas and gaffer tape, two men drove 230 miles to Devon to target the wealthy young soul singer at her home.

Handwritten notes found in the pair’s possession referred to Stone as a “she-devil” and outlined a plan to decapitate her before dumping her body in a river, Exeter Crown Court was told.

However, they were arrested near the star’s house before they could execute their plot after first crashing their small Fiat Punto on the way to Devon and then arousing suspicion among “eagle-eyed” locals when they got lost.

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

Kevin Liverpool, 35, and Junior Bradshaw, 32, allegedly targeted Stone, 25, in 2011 after she performed at charity concerts attended by the Duke of Cambridge and was a guest at his wedding to the then-Kate Middleton.

The notes found by police expressed “disapproval” of the Queen and other Royals, the court heard.

Simon Morgan, prosecuting, said: "Joss Stone associates with members of the Royal family.

“Her concerts have been attended by members of it and she was invited to the Royal wedding at the very end of April that year. Hence she became a target.”

The pair researched Stone by watching a programme she made about her previous home in Devon for a series on the MTV channel called Cribs, in which celebrities invite a camera crew to look around their palatial houses, the court heard.

Mr Liverpool also used a computer in his local library to Google information about her and other stars.

The prosecutor said: "The notebook deals with music artists. Perhaps he wasn't sure whom to choose but he settled on Joss Stone. He found out quite a bit about her. He knew she had made money. He obviously decided to concentrate on her."

In 2008 Stone moved to a house in Ashill, near Cullompton in Devon. Her worldwide touring schedule meant she was often away, but she was at home when Mr Liverpool and Mr Bradshaw allegedly sought to carry out their murderous plot.

In the early hours of June 13 2011 the pair loaded up their red T-registration Fiat Punto with equipment including the samurai sword, hammers, a hosepipe, a metal spike, gloves, a lock knife, maps and a roll of plastic bags, the jury was told. The sword was too wide for the boot of the small car and stuck up underneath the carpet.

En route from Manchester to Devon they stopped at the Michaelwood services on the M5 in Gloucestershire, where they filled up with petrol but drove off without paying.

However, just moments later they crashed their car into metal railings and a mechanical digger at the service station.

Police were called but decided not to search the vehicle and did not seize it because they thought it had been too badly damaged to be driven.

But Mr Bradshaw and Mr Liverpool continued down the motorway to Devon. Hunting for Stone’s home, they stopped a postman to show him a photograph of the star and ask if he knew where she lived, but he did not.

Later that morning three women saw the Fiat in the Cullompton area and called police after becoming concerned that the men were “agitated and behaving abnormally”. When officers stopped the car, they found the sword and other equipment.

Mr Morgan told the jury: "The Crown says with this arsenal of weapons it is obvious they were intent upon serious violence. The intended target is Joss Stone."

Mr Liverpool and Mr Bradshaw are alleged to have hatched their plan to rob and kill the singer with other people who are not on trial. Those involved in the plot had made at least one earlier reconnaissance trip to Stone’s house in Devon two weeks earlier, the court heard.

After the pair were arrested, police found a pistol, a crossbow and a ball bearing gun at the small flat they shared in Longsight, Manchester.

They also discovered the handwritten notes, which repeatedly referred to Stone, whose real name is Jocelyn Stoker.

One said “rob and kill - Joscelyn [sic] RIP”, while another made reference to "kills" and "decapitate", and a third said: "Once Jocelyn's dead... find a river to dump her."

Stone, whose hits include Fell In Love With A Boy and Super Duper Love, has sold more than 11 million albums worldwide and has a fortune currently estimated at £10 million.

Mr Liverpool and Mr Bradshaw deny charges of conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to rob between January and June 2011.

The trial continues.

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