- Accused described singer Joss Stone as a "she devil"
- Planned to rob her, decapitate her and dump body in river
TWO men planned to decapitate a singer with a samurai sword and dump her body in a river because of her links to the Royal Family, a court heard yesterday.
Joss Stone, who was a guest at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, was considered by her would-be killers to be a favourite of the Queen, a jury was told, The Daily Mail reported.
In handwritten notes, Kevin Liverpool and Junior Bradshaw described Stone, famous for her 2004 single You Had Me, and the Queen as "she-devils".
The notes, which set out the murder plot, were found by police shortly after the pair were arrested not far from 25-year-old Stone's isolated country home in Devon equipped with a 3ft samurai sword, a knife, a spike, hammers, balaclavas, maps, gaffer tape and black bags, the court was told.
"Eagle-eyed" villagers had called the police after Liverpool and Bradshaw, who had travelled from Manchester in their Fiat Punto, were seen driving back and forth looking for the soul singer's home.
Singer Joss Stone in a publicity photo released by record label Universal Music. Source: Supplied
At one point they even asked directions from a local postman and showed him a photograph of Stone, asking where she lived.
As well as the weapons, police found numerous notes containing information about her £500,000 home and indicating that they planned to murder her, Exeter Crown Court was told.
One note referred to Stone, 25, who is worth £10million, by her given first name and read: "Jocelyn, she-devil in the flesh."
Another document stated: "The Queen, she-devil. Her system takes the p***. But she likes Joss Stone... invited to attend Wills's wedding. Where's the sense in that? The Queen just doesn’t give a ****."
British soul singer Joss Stone performs during an open air concert at Lisbon's Comercio square Saturday, July 30 2011. (AP Photo/Armando Franca) Source: AP
Prosecutor Simon Morgan QC said the defendants' motive in targeting Stone - real name Jocelyn Eve Stoker - was irrelevant to their guilt.
But he said the notes gave possible clues.
"The documents appear to express disapproval of the Royal Family," said Mr Morgan. "Joss Stone associates with members of the Royal Family. Her concerts have been attended by members of the Royal family and she was invited to the Royal Wedding. Hence she becomes a target."
Other notes expressed hatred of Stone and described her as corrupt.
They included terms such as "decapitate", "rob and kill", "Jocelyn Stoker... RIP forever" and "once Jocelyn's dead... find a river to dump her".
Liverpool, 35, and Bradshaw, 32, both deny charges of conspiracy to murder, rob and cause grievous bodily harm to Miss Stone in June 2011. The pair, acting with unknown accomplices, had carried out research on Miss Stone at their local library, it was alleged.
Liverpool and Bradshaw were also said to have watched her appearance on the television programme MTV Cribs, in which famous people guide viewers around their homes.
The jury was told that after the pair's arrest police found a crossbow and a BB gun, a type of airgun, at their home in Longsight, Manchester.
"Joss Stone is an extremely wealthy young woman. These defendants drove from Manchester to find her," Mr Morgan added.
"Fortunately they were not successful, although she was at home. They were reported by the eagle-eyed people of small communities."
Before their arrest near Cullompton in Devon, Liverpool and Bradshaw had stopped in the early hours of June 13, 2011 at a motorway service station in Gloucestershire which they left without paying for fuel, the court heard.
Immediately afterwards, their vehicle crashed and police attended the scene, where they discovered Bradshaw was driving without insurance. Officers from Gloucestershire Police did not search or seize the vehicle.
The prosecution say the pair hatched the plot before the day of their arrest and referred to a text message sent in mid-January of that year which speaks of "looking to take out Jocelyn".
"The Crown says with this arsenal of weapons it is obvious they were intent upon serious violence," Mr Morgan said.
"The intended target is Joss Stone. They had decided upon this action some time before and this was the time to put it into effect."
The trial, which is due to last around three weeks, continues.
British singer Joss Stone teases photograpers as she arrives at the Fashion Rocks for the Princes Trust event at the Royal Albert Hall in London. AFP PHOTO/LEON NEAL Source: AFP
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