Woman 'planned' to stab ex with daughter and partner

Mr Groves died after being stabbed 12 times

A woman stabbed her ex-partner to death after "planning" the attack with her daughter and new partner, a court has heard.

Helen Shakespeare, 53, her daughter Letisha Goodwin, 30, and Anthony Hillier, 33, are on trial at Salisbury Crown Court charged with murdering Raymond Groves, 48, from Bristol, which they all deny.

He was found dead after being "repeatedly stabbed" at the home shared by Ms Shakespeare and Ms Goodwin in Strawberry Fields, Easterton, near Devizes, Wiltshire, on 2 July.

Kate Lumsdon KC, prosecuting, told the court Ms Goodwin had called the police at about 20:00 GMT and said she had returned home from the shops to find "a man lying on the floor with blood everywhere".

The court was told police, paramedics and a doctor attended the home, where they found Mr Groves lying face down on the hall floor with a knife in his left hand, another on the floor and one in the kitchen sink.

Ms Lumsdon KC said Ms Shakespeare told them Mr Groves, with whom she had previously been in a relationship for "many years", had attempted to rape her.

'Desperate attempt'

The prosecutor said: "It looked at first blush like the desperate attempt of a woman to protect herself from an intruder.

"It looked like Miss Goodwin had stumbled on a situation of which she had no knowledge.

"As the investigation unfolded, it became clear that there was more to this situation than meets the eye."

She added that "by piecing together evidence from a number of sources", including evidence gathered from phones, the Crown suggests that, in fact, Mr Groves' death was a "planned" killing.

Ms Lumson KC presented messages between Ms Goodwin and Mr Hillier, which the court was told appeared to show them discussing stabbing Mr Groves.

Jurors heard that on 18 June, Mr Hillier, of Royal Wootton Bassett, wrote to Ms Goodwin: "You're playing with fire baby if you stab him. Your mum can stab him, I'm not getting you in trouble."

All three accused have denied the charges

Ms Goodwin also allegedly told Mr Hillier: "I don't want anyone to do my dirty work for me, I'm a grown-arse woman," after Mr Hillier allegedly said he would stab Mr Groves.

The court also heard how Mr Groves sustained 12 stab wounds, including three to his neck and four in his back.

He also suffered 11 "defence" wounds to his right hand and two to his left, which Ms Lumsdon KC said were consistent with attempts to grab a knife to defend himself.

'Aborted attempt'

Ms Lumsdon KC said Mr Groves had visited Ms Shakespeare on 27 June and alleged there was an aborted attempt by her to stab him, the events of 2 July being a second attempt.

The prosecutor told the jury: "Mr Hillier told Miss Goodwin he didn't trust Mrs Shakespeare to do it herself, he would make sure the job was done.

"We suggest Mr Hillier was lying in wait for Raymond Groves and when Raymond Groves arrived Mr Hillier attacked him."

The court heard Ms Goodwin subsequently told police she was "not aware of any plan to kill or harm" Mr Groves, while Mr Hillier did not answer questions.

The jury was also told Ms Shakespeare had claimed Mr Groves "forced his way" into the house "with a glint in his face" before "forcing himself" upon her, and she had "grabbed a kitchen knife" in self-defence.

The trial continues.