Plotters who planned to abduct and kill singer sentenced - Junior Bradshaw and Kevin Liverpool punished.
The men conspiring to rob and kill singer Joss Stone were sentenced today with Kevin Liverpool jailed for life while Junior Bradshaw awaits sentencing.
As the two men were scheming their ghastly plan Stone was at home relaxing having recently launched her own label, Stone'd Records, and had finished her fifth album 'LP1' in Nashville, USA.
Liverpool, 35, and Bradshaw, 32, intended to cut the pop star’s head off and get rid of her body. However due to some mistakes they were stopped by police within a few miles of Stone’s home in Devon, UK. A jury convicted the two of conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to rob in just four hours on Wednesday. The verdict comes after a three-week trial at Exeter crown court.
The singer told the court she did not have a proper lock on her door or set her alarm at the time, "But I do now," she added. Stone ran an "open house" policy where neighbours could drop in unannounced.
Stone said in a statement after the verdict was given: "I am relieved the trial is now over and that these men are no longer in a position to cause harm to anyone".
Bradshaw will be sentenced later but Liverpool received a minimum 10 years and eight months sentence before he can get parole.
"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," said Judge Francis Gilbert QC.
The would-be killers crashed their car travelling to the singer’s home, became lost and asked for directions, made no effort to conceal the weapons and helped detectives enormously by detailing their scheme to kill the singer – real name Jocelyn Stoker – in a bundle of notes culminating in one saying: "Once Jocelyn's dead … find a river to dump her."
Another note read: "Joscelyn [sic] Stoker … RIP for ever" and: "I don't kill just for dollars, only for good cause or reason."
Stone was having "really nice" day until police showed up explaining they believed she was going to be robbed by Liverpool and Bradshaw. The pair had actually been planning to kill her - the police later told the singer.
The judge said it was obvious Liverpool had planned to steal from the pop star of what he "hoped would be in excess of £1m". Choosing Stone as a "random target" thinking she was loaded and believed "she was a friend of the royal family" who would give them money. The judge was taking into consideration a mixed sentence for Bradshaw, where he would serve it in a secure psychiatric unit but be given a custodial sentence.
