Drug dealer and ex-lover jailed for killing Wigan man in gun and acid attack over Tinder date rape claim

Published

1 year ago

August 24, 2023

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A drug dealer and his former girlfriend have been jailed for murdering a father-of-two who was shot in the face and had acid poured on his body.

Michael Hillier tracked down Liam Smith and waited outside his home in Wigan for nearly 10 hours before the attack.

The 39-year-old plotted the assault over a 10-month period with his then girlfriend Rachel Fulstow, 37, who had claimed 38-year-old Mr Smith had raped her after a Tinder date.

Hillier, from Sheffield, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 33 years in jail after being found unanimously guilty of murder following a six-week trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.

Fulstow will also face life behind bars, with a minimum term of 30 years, plus 18 months for perverting the course of justice, after being found guilty of murder and one charge of perverting the course of justice, after lying to police.

The judge called this a “brutal and cold-blooded murder” and said the pair decided “to exact your own vengeance. The two of you decided to act as judge, jury and executioner”.

The judge added: “You showed no remorse whatsoever.”

Killers went on holiday after brutal murder

During the trial, the court heard Mr Smith was lured out of his house at about 6.40pm on 24 November 2022 by Hillier, who shot him in the face before pouring acid onto his face and body, followed by soda crystals.

The couple then went on a two-week holiday to Jamaica just days after the killing.

When the former lovers returned home, Hillier was arrested and Fulstow was initially treated as a witness.

Police later arrested her as a suspect after she was found to have lied during interviews.

Fulstow’s phone showed she had made internet searches into Mr Smith’s electrical company and Mitsubishi Shogun cars, like the one used by Hillier and later burned out after the murder.

On the morning of the killing, she also checked the weather in Wigan.

Mr Smith’s family shouted “yes” and “thank you so much” before sobbing and hugging as the jury found both defendants guilty of murder on Wednesday.

Former couple turned on each other during trial

Hillier, who was handcuffed in the dock, stared over at his former partner as the verdicts were returned.

The trial heard conflicting accounts from the former couple, who turned on each other with different versions of events.

Fulstow had met Mr Smith on a date in York in 2019, the court was told. She said they had “non-consensual sex” at a hotel in the city.

But Fulstow did not describe what happened as rape, she told the trial, and did not report it to the police.

The court heard she went for lunch with Mr Smith the day after the one-night stand.

She began dating Hillier two years later in 2021.

Fulstow said he could be verbally abusive and unpredictable and was not happy she had a one-night stand with Mr Smith.

Hillier, who told the court he was a drug dealer involved in producing and distributing cannabis on a large scale, said he and Fulstow had both planned the attack on Mr Smith.

He claimed Fulstow told him she had been “graphically raped” by Mr Smith.

Hillier, who had admitted manslaughter but denied murder, told the jury: “We decided jointly between the two of us that we would deal with the matter ourselves and seek justice ourselves and go down the vigilante route.”

Fulstow, an international travel and tourism management graduate from Leeds Met University, said she was “petrified” to go to the police about her boyfriend.

She told the court the first she knew of the attack on Mr Smith was when Hillier turned up at her house the following morning and told her.

UK

Ellis Cox: Mother appeals to catch son’s killer on birthday anniversary

Published

44 mins ago

January 18, 2025

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Ellis Cox: Mother appeals to catch son's killer on birthday anniversary

Fresh appeals have been made for information on what would have been the 20th birthday of Ellis Cox, who was shot dead in Liverpool last June.

A number of people have been arrested in connection with the murder at Liver Industrial Estate, but no one has been charged yet.

The 19-year-old’s family and police have paid tribute to him and called for those with information to come forward.

He was shot in the back after a confrontation between his friends and another group of up to three males on Sunday 23 June.

His mother Carolyn paid tribute in an appeal to coincide with what would have been his 20th birthday.

“He was so kind… so laid back, so calm, so mature for his age. And he was just funny. Very funny.

“He was my baby… no mum should have to bury a child. He was my life. And I don’t know what to do without him.”

Meanwhile, his aunt Julie O’Toole said he was “the sort of person I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone to say anything negative about. He was loyal, fiercely loyal… everything was about his family”.

To pay tribute to Ellis, Liverpool City Council will be lighting up the Cunard Building and Liverpool Town Hall in orange on Saturday.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath, the senior investigating officer, spoke about the information gathered so far, six months on from Mr Cox’s murder.

“I’m satisfied that the group that he was with was probably the target… and I would say that’s got something in relation to do with localised drug dealing in that area. But Ellis had no involvement in that whatsoever,” he said.

He added that police are looking for “really significant pieces of evidence now”, including “trying to recover the firearm that was used in relation to this, looking to recover the bikes that were used by the offenders”.

Mrs Cox also appealed for people to come forward with information.

“If you know anything, don’t let us get to [his] next birthday and still know nothing.

“We need to get justice for Ellis. And we need to get the people who took him from us off the streets.”

UK

Manchester United legend Denis Law dies aged 84

Published

12 hours ago

January 17, 2025

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Manchester United legend Denis Law dies aged 84

Former Manchester United and Scotland footballer Denis Law has died, at the age of 84.

In a statement, his family said: “It is with a heavy heart that we tell you our father Denis Law has sadly passed away. He fought a tough battle, but finally, he is now at peace.

“We would like to thank everyone who contributed to his wellbeing and care, past and much more recently.

“We know how much people supported and loved him and that love was always appreciated and made the difference.”

The Aberdeen-born footballer previously announced in August 2021 that he had been diagnosed with dementia.

A prolific striker, Law scored 237 goals in 404 appearances for Manchester United, for whom he signed for a then-British record transfer fee in 1962.

He is the only man to have two statues dedicated to him at Old Trafford – one on the Stretford End concourse, the other as part of the United Trinity statue overlooking the stadium’s forecourt beside fellow great George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton.

The only Scottish player to have won the Ballon d’Or award, in 1964, he was also part of United’s triumphant campaign in the 1968 European Cup – in which they became the first English club to ever win the competition.

In a statement, the club said: “Everyone at Manchester United is mourning the loss of Denis Law, the King of the Stretford End, who has passed away, aged 84.

“He will always be celebrated as one of the club’s greatest and most beloved players.

“The ultimate goalscorer, his flair, spirit and love for the game made him the hero of a generation. Our deepest condolences go out to Denis’s family and many friends. His memory will live on forever more.”

Wayne Rooney, former United captain and the club’s all-time record goalscorer, described Law as a “legend”.

“Thoughts with all Denis’s family and friends,” he said in an online post.

Another former United captain, Gary Neville, said: “A great footballer and a great man. It’s a privilege and an honour to have spent time in your company. The King of the Stretford End.”

A tribute from the Scotland national team said Law was “a true great”.

“We will not see his likes again,” it said.

Law also played for Huddersfield Town, Manchester City, and Italian club Torino during his club career, and made 55 appearances for Scotland, scoring 30 goals for his country.

Manchester City said in a post on X: “The whole of Manchester, including everyone at City, is mourning with you. Rest in peace, Denis.”

UK

FTSE 100 closes at record high

Published

13 hours ago

January 17, 2025

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The UK’s benchmark stock index has reached another record high.

The FTSE 100 index of most valuable companies on the London Stock Exchange closed at 8,505.69, breaking the record set last May.

It had already broken its intraday high at 8532.58 on Friday afternoon, meaning it reached a high not seen before during trading hours.

Money blog: Major boost for mortgage holders

The weakened pound has boosted many of the 100 companies forming the top-flight index.

Why is this happening?

Most are not based in the UK, so a less valuable pound means their sterling-priced shares are cheaper to buy for people using other currencies, typically US dollars.

This makes the shares better value, prompting more to be bought. This greater demand has brought up the prices and the FTSE 100.

The pound has been hovering below $1.22 for much of Friday. It’s steadily fallen from being worth $1.34 in late September.

Also spurring the new record are market expectations for more interest rate cuts in 2025, something which would make borrowing cheaper and likely kickstart spending.

What is the FTSE 100?

The index is made up of many mining and international oil and gas companies, as well as household name UK banks and supermarkets.

Familiar to a UK audience are lenders such as Barclays, Natwest, HSBC and Lloyds and supermarket chains Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s.

Other well-known names include Rolls-Royce, Unilever, easyJet, BT Group and Next.

FTSE stands for Financial Times Stock Exchange.

If a company’s share price drops significantly it can slip outside of the FTSE 100 and into the larger and more UK-based FTSE 250 index.

The inverse works for the FTSE 250 companies, the 101st to 250th most valuable firms on the London Stock Exchange. If their share price rises significantly they could move into the FTSE 100.

A good close for markets

It’s a good end of the week for markets, entirely reversing the rise in borrowing costs that plagued Chancellor Rachel Reeves for the past ten days.

Fears of long-lasting high borrowing costs drove speculation she would have to cut spending to meet self-imposed fiscal rules to balance the budget and bring down debt by 2030.

Long-term government borrowing had reached a high not seen since 1998 while the benchmark 10-year cost of government borrowing, as measured by 10-year gilt yields, was at levels last seen around the 2008 financial crisis.

The gilt yield is effectively the interest rate investors demand to lend money to the UK government.

Only the pound has yet to recover the losses incurred during the market turbulence. Without that dropped price, however, the FTSE 100 record may not have happened.

Also acting to reduce sterling value is the chance of more interest rates. Currencies tend to weaken when interest rates are cut.