Two men were today found guilty of plotting to kidnap and murder pop star Joss Stone before dumping her body in a river.
Junior Bradshaw, 32, and Kevin Liverpool, 35, set off from their home in Manchester with samurai sword, knives, bags and gloves stashed in their Fiat Punto, bound for Miss Stone’s address in mid-Devon.
But the pair, labelled ‘deluded incompetents’ by Liverpool’s barrister, were arrested after residents near the singer’s property spotted them acting suspiciously.
Judge Francis Gilbert QC jailed Liverpool for life with a minimum term of 10 years and eight months at Exeter Crown Court.
He told the defendant: ‘It may have been, to use the colloquial, “a crazy scheme from a crazy person and must be likely to fail” but when you decided to travel from Manchester to Devon you intended to carry it out.
‘You intended to rob her and kill her and dump her body in the river, according to your words, and then leave the country with your accomplice Junior Bradshaw.’
Bradshaw will be sentenced at a later date when he will be given a custodial sentence which he would most likely serve in a secure psychiatric unit.
The pair’s hapless plot was fraught with problems and they were arrested, the jury heard during a three-week trial.
They were spoken to by police after being involved in a crash on the journey to the West Country from Manchester.
And they also asked a postman for directions to Miss Stone’s home in Ashill using a picture of the pop star in an attempt to track her down.
Guilty: Kevin Liverpool, 35, left, and Junior Bradshaw, 32, right, who travelled to Joss Stone’s home with a cache of weapons as they plotted to kill her
The duo had previously gained evidence about one of Miss Stone’s former homes, near Cullompton, after studying a video documentary she made for MTV’s Cribs series and printed Google street maps to find her new address a short distance away.
Notes found in the defendants’ possession showed they intended to decapitate the pop star before planning to dump her body in a river, the prosecution told jurors.
Bradshaw and Liverpool were arrested on the morning of June 13, 2011 a few miles from Miss Stone’s home when concerned local residents – spotting their crash-damaged car – called police.
Both men – who are long-standing friends and call each other ‘cousins’ even though they are not related – told police they were lost and were trying to get to Bristol.
Bradshaw also told officers they had been stopped a few miles away and the vehicle had been checked before being given the all-clear to carry on their journey.
But it turned out the pair had actually been stopped at the M5 Michaelwood services in Gloucestershire at 5am that day.
Plot: Two men were today convicted of planning to rob and kill singer Joss Stone
They had been involved in a collision with metal railings and a digger, leaving the Punto badly damaged.
They became lost around seven miles from Miss Stone’s home and they showed local postman Alex Greening a map with handwritten notes on it, as well as a picture of the 25-year-old soul singer.
Bradshaw and Liverpool were quizzed on Cullompton High Street after residents called police.
The suspicious uniformed Pcs discovered Bradshaw did not have a driving licence and arrested him.
When they searched the Punto and found a stash of weapons to carry out their plot which included a black-handled samurai sword, three knives, a section of garden hosepipe, two £1 hammers, black gloves and balaclavas and a further holdall containing a metal spike, black bags and black tape. There were also print outs of AA routefinder maps from Manchester to Devon.
During the case, Liverpool was branded a fantasist by his own lawyer.
Notes he wrote found in the car and his flat in Manchester included references to robbing, killing and beheading the singer and dumping her body in a river.
Other documents also ‘appear to express disapproval of the Royal family’.
One note added: ‘The Queen – she-devil. But she likes Joss Stone. Invited to Will’s wedding by Queen. Where’s the sense in that?’
A search of the one-bedroom flat Bradshaw and Liverpool shared also recovered a self-cocking crossbow and a BB gun.
Police also found in the flat Liverpool’s rambling hand-written diaries, which talked of the need to buy a semi-automatic gun, a silencer, infra red sights and a ‘ninja’ sword.were lost and were trying to get to Bristol.
Guilty: Junior Bradshaw and Kevin Liverpool who were today convicted of hatching a lot to rob and kill pop star Joss Stone
Co-accused: Liverpool, left, and Bradshaw, are shown sitting in the dock at Exeter Crown Court during their trial. They were today convicted of hatching a plot to murder Joss Stone
Evidence: Joss Stone addresses the court during the trial in front of Judge Francis Gilbert QC in this artist’s impression
He called Miss Stone ‘princess’ and other entries referred to ‘Jocelyn RIP – try to get info. Rob and kill.’
Another said: ‘Jocelyn – devil. She devil in flesh. The Queen. She devil/her system take the p…. Destroy The Queen’s system.’
His notebooks also listed other musicians such as Dizzee Rascal, Eminem, Beyonce, Craig David, R Kelly, Chris Brown and girl band Girls Aloud.
As the judge sentenced Liverpool, he said: ‘It is clear from your text messages on your phone that from as early as November 2010 you had been planning to rob someone from what you hoped would be in excess of £1million.
‘By January 2011 you wanted a semi-automatic handgun and you had identified Joss Stone as the target.
‘You had no reason to target her except that she was a wealthy young woman as she was a successful singer.
Stash: A samurai sword found in the boot of the Fiat Punto that Kevin Liverpool and Junior Bradshaw had driven to Cullohampton, Devon, from their homes in Manchester
Chilling: A pistol was recovered when police carried out raids on the defendants’ homes in Manchester
Weaponry: This crossbow was recovered from the defendants’ homes after they were arrested for plotting to kill Joss Stone
‘You assumed as she was a friend of the royal family she would be able to give you money of that sort of amount.
‘She was a random target that you choose because she was a popular singer who you thought was wealthy.’
The judge said that Liverpool had recruited Bradshaw into the scheme.
Prosecutor Simon Morgan told the court that there was a determined effort to carry out the killings.
‘This case is about a decision by a group of individuals, of which 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.
Bungled: The Fiat Punto the pair were travelling in crashed on the way south from Manchester and they were spoken to by police
‘In interview, the defendants, in essence, declined to comment. The items in their possession, the trips to the area, the fact that the intended victim was at home, the notes and maps all point to a determined effort on the part of the defendants to carry out the plan they had hatched some time before.
‘The evidence established that they intended to rob and kill their target using the equipment they had with them.’
Giving evidence to jurors, the soul star admitted there was lax security at her home but said she only learnt of the plot against her when told by police.
Miss Stone, who was referred to by her real name Jocelyn Stoker, said: ‘I’ve lived in Devon for a long time and nobody really shuts their door.
‘I had an alarm but I did not really turn it on very much. I didn’t really have a lock on my door… But I do now.’
During the trial Bradshaw said he had never heard of The Fell In Love With A Boy singer until his arrest and that he believed he was on a day out with his friend.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Michael Alcock said Bradshaw suffered from disorganised schizophrenia and had such a poor concept of time that he thinks the alleged murder plot only happened two or three months ago.
‘In a sense, his mental illness and learning difficulties are protecting him. Ironically, his disorder is helping him get through,’ he said.
Cache of weapons: The hapless defendants were also found with a hammer when they were arrested by police
The defendants were also found with this lock knife when their plot to kill came unravelled
‘Each day is the same to him. He is like a goldfish in a bowl. It doesn’t bother him.’
Bradshaw, who has spent time detained under the Mental Health Act in psychiatric units, also has a low IQ of between 55 and 65.
Forensic psychiatrist Dr Richard Latham, who was called to give evidence by the prosecution, said Bradshaw was well at the time of the plot.
He agreed with Dr Alcock’s fundamental diagnosis but disputed the effect it had on Bradshaw at the time.
‘It all points to him being in a period of remission. He was well at this stage,’ he said.
‘The overwhelming evidence is that he was not in a state of relapse at that time.’
Liverpool chose not to give evidence and none was called on his behalf.
His barrister, Philip King QC, used his closing speech to say the plot to kill Miss Stone was nothing more than a bungled fantasy that was never going to be carried out.
‘The simple truth is that you have one, maybe two people who are incapable, bizarre, deluded incompetents. They were doing nothing other than living out a frightening fantasy,’ he told jurors.
‘It was a frightening fantasy but are you sure he intended real harm to occur in the real world.’
Mr King said the notes written by Liverpool showed how removed he was from reality, with references to acquiring machine guns, infrared sights and silencers.
Tools: A garden hose and black binbags which were also recovered from Bradshaw and Liverpool’s Fiat Punto when the plot was uncovere
Plan: A roll of black tape and a black sock which were also recovered from the vehicle
He said: ‘He never got these things, he never got within a million miles of them. You have to consider whether these are just the lunatic ramblings of someone who was not very well.
‘The sad truth is he is not dangerous, just a deluded inadequate; part of the crooked timber of humanity.
‘He may just be a man who needs some sort of help. He may just be an incapable fantasist.’
Martin Meeke QC, for Bradshaw, said the medical evidence showed that his client was also incapable of taking part in any sort of plot and there was no forensic evidence to link him to either the weapons or the notes or to suggest he took part in any planning.
The defendants, both from Longsight, Manchester denied charges of conspiracy to murder, the alternative charges of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to rob.
In a statement after the verdicts, Stone said: ‘I’d like to thank everyone for all their support and kind wishes.
‘I am relieved the trial is now over and that these men are no longer in a position to cause harm to anyone.’
Outside court, her mother Wendy Joseph, who attended the trial each day, echoed her daughter’s sentiments.
She said: ‘Joss would like to thank everybody for their support and all of their good wishes.
‘Joss and myself and indeed our whole family are relieved the trial is now over and these men are no longer in a position to cause harm to anyone.’
Balaclavas: These were found in the back of the Fiat Punto when Liverpool and Bradshaw were held by police
Two sets of black gloves were also recovered from the vehicle which it is thought the defendants were going to use to cover their tracks
Read more: Daily Mail UK
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