Man jailed for 'one of most planned murders' - judge

A man has been sentenced to 26 years in jail for "one of the most planned murders" a judge has ever seen.

Raymond Groves, 48, of Hartcliffe, Bristol, was found stabbed to death at a property in Strawberry Fields in Easterton, near Devizes in Wiltshire, in July 2024.

The trial heard Anthony Hillier, 35, was lying in wait as Groves was lured to the property and he launched a "brutal" attack on his victim in an attempt to "teach him a lesson".

Hillier's girlfriend, Letisha Goodwin, 30, was ordered to remain in a psychiatric facility after the judge ruled she had "encouraged and assisted" in the elaborate plot.

Her mother, Helen Shakespeare, 55, of Strawberry Fields in Easterton, was also sentenced to five years in jail after being convicted of manslaughter.

Groves, known as Boo, died just two days after turning 48.

His family described him as "outgoing and funny" and "always there for people when they needed a chat".

Maria Brown, who shares four children with Groves, told the court: "It feels like a part of me has been taken.

"Having to go through a crown court trial was very distressing for us. At several times, I just had to walk out."

The court heard Shakespeare had previously been in a relationship with Groves and hatched a plan alongside her daughter and Hillier to have him attacked.

Police found Shakespeare had "lured" her ex-partner to the property under the pretence of "undisturbed sex" before making way for Hillier.

Judge Martin Spencer described the onslaught as "brutal", referencing a text Hillier had sent to his girlfriend which read: "I f****** told you I would get rid of him".

The trio then tried to deceive police, with Goodwin telling 999 dispatch that she had returned from the shops to find "a man lying on the floor with blood everywhere", holding a knife in his left hand.

Goodwin can be heard pleading with officers to come quickly as she repeatedly denies knowledge of what happened amid attempts to establish an alibi.

Shakespeare later told police her ex-partner had "forced his way" into the house and tried to rape her and that she had stabbed him in self-defence.

"What actually unfolded was something completely different," Det Insp Debbie Hatch told BBC Wiltshire.

Her officers trawled through hours of CCTV which revealed that Hillier had been lying in wait inside the property at the time of Groves' death.

They also found a bloody footprint beneath Groves' body which matched Hillier's trainers.

"The investigation was huge, it was complex," Hatch said.

"We also had to analyse mobile phone data and messaging which played a huge part in the trial - especially messages between Goodwin and Hillier."

The judge determined Goodwin had "plotted" with Shakespeare and, alongside Hillier, "formulated the plan that he should kill Mr Groves".

But he conceded that Shakespeare had only intended for Groves to be "beaten up".

"This is one of the most planned murders I think I've ever come across," he said.

"You were part of a plan to teach Groves a lesson but you were then shocked by what Hillier did.

"You did not want him to be killed."

Edward Henry KC, defending, described Hillier as a "pathetic individual, a broken man" who had been overtaken by "paranoia" created by Shakespeare.

Hillier has already served 724 days of his 26-year sentence at HMP Winchester.

Goodwin was ordered to be detained under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act at Fromeside Medium Secure Unit in Bristol where she has lived for several months.

The court heard she had made numerous attempts to take her own life and was suffering from a severe personality disorder, PTSD and a delusional disorder.

She did not attend the trial due to her mental illness.

In his closing remarks, the judge praised an "exemplary" police investigation which had "unravelled" Hillier, Shakespeare and Goodwin's attempts to hide the truth.

Det Insp Hatch said there was a "sense of relief" following the verdict.

"I think it is clear from Raymond's family that they feel they have justice for him and they can now have some closure for him moving forward," she said.

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