August 5th 2023.
Rachel Fulstow is on trial at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court, accused of the murder of Liam Smith. It is alleged that she persuaded her new boyfriend Michael Hillier to attack the 38-year-old Smith, a former one-night stand.
Mr Smith, from Wigan, was lured from his home, shot in the face and then had sulphuric acid poured over him before his body was found in Wigan on November 24.
Hillier has admitted to manslaughter, claiming he only meant to ‘maim and disfigure’ Mr Smith after being ‘led to believe’ the fling between him and Fulstow was non-consensual.
In a secret recording of Hillier made in prison following his arrest weeks after Mr Smith died, Hillier said that they both wanted him to suffer and that it was not the intention for him to end up dead.
Fulstow, however, has denied setting the attack up. In court, her lawyer put to her allegations that Hillier had made against her, asking if she had persuaded him to wreak revenge on Smith and if she had known he was going to shoot and pour acid on him. In response, Fulstow said no.
Earlier, Fulstow had said that she met Mr Smith through Tinder and they had gone out and got drunk, ending up having sex, which she said was not consensual. She said that he had apologized and they had spoken about it and that she had wanted to forget about it.
When asked if she had wanted Hillier to carry out this attack as a consequence of what happened in 2019, Fulstow said no. She added that she only knew that Mr Smith had come to harm when Hillier turned up at her house in York.
The international travel and tourism management graduate said she did not tell police everything she knew because she was ‘petrified’ of Hillier, who she claimed was verbally abusive, moody, unpredictable and suffering mental health issues.
Fulstow, from York, and Hillier, from Sheffield, deny murder. She also denies a single count of perverting the course of justice. The trial was adjourned until next Wednesday.
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