A lady with a fixation on serial killers killed her on-and-off partner by stabbing him with a dagger.
In July 2022, at her house in Havant, Hampshire, Shaye Groves sliced the throat of Frankie Fitzgerald and then plunged the knife into his chest 17 times.
The 27-year-old defendant’s alibi was based on her research of real crime programmes, which led to her conviction for murder.
The Winchester Crown Court imposed a mandatory minimum sentence of 23 years in prison.
Groves’ trial included testimony about how she and the accused had a common interest in BDSM and how a camera had been put up in her bedroom to capture their sexual encounter.
Source: The Sun
The police discovered literature about criminals, including the notorious inmate Charles Bronson, as well as framed images of prominent murders like Myra Hindley and Peter Sutcliffe on her walls.
She kept a Celtic dagger, the weapon she used to kill Mr. Fitzgerald, either beneath her pillow or nearby.
Twenty-five-year-old Mr. Fitzgerald, a father of two, passed away in the wee hours of 17 July 2022 at Groves’ house.
She allegedly stabbed Mr. Fitzgerald in his sleep out of jealously after learning that he had been corresponding online with a person she assumed was a 13-year-old girl, according to the prosecution.
The person was revealed to be 17 years old and Mr. Fitzgerald’s target. The prosecutor, Steven Perian KC, said that Groves had lied to a friend about being a victim of sexual abuse by drawing on her knowledge from films.
She allegedly gave her buddy doctored videos of them having sex, but the prosecution said the raw evidence proved the sexual encounter was voluntary.
According to Mr. Perian, “The Crown allege that the defendant — through reading about and viewing murder documentaries — she was aware with crime scenes, how to develop a fake narrative, and how to put up a false alibi.”
Mr. Fitzgerald’s mother, Rosanne, referred to him as “the bright light – a kind and lovely guy” in a victim impact statement she delivered in court. His father Barry said in a statement that the murder “shattered” the family.
There had a whole life ahead of him, and it was taken from him. Well, I don’t think we’ll ever be able to go past this.
Putting down a punishment, judge A “manipulative, possessive, and jealous lady,” as described by the Hon. Mr. Justice Kerr.
He said that she and Mr. Fitzgerald’s relationship was “characterised by aggressive sex, cocaine, and alcohol,” creating a “dangerous dynamic.”
You got angry and did something rash. What’s more, you loved the man you killed and killed the man you loved, he said. During the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Burton noted that Mr. Fitzgerald had been the victim of a “shocking and relentless attack” that ultimately led to his death.
Frankie’s family, friends, and loved ones will always be at the forefront of our minds.
Although I realise that nothing will ever make up for what they’ve lost in Frankie, I want to commend their resilience and hope that this sentence helps them start to move ahead.
