Leigh Park murder trial: 'Cunning' Shaye Groves had serial killer pictures on bedroom wall and planned to ‘get away with murder’ before slicing Frankie Fitzgerald's throat with a dagger

Accused Shaye Groves, 27, caused a ‘catastrophic blood loss’ to boyfriend Frankie Fitzgerald’s throat when she plunged a knife into his neck leaving a ‘large split’ that ‘opened the back of his throat’ as he slept at her Botley Drive home in Leigh Park. Despite the ‘inevitably fatal wound’, Groves continued to relentlessly stab down into the Portsmouth dad’s chest causing further devastating injuries to the heart and lungs that would also have killed him but for the fatal ‘massive gash’ to the neck, jurors at Winchester Crown Court heard.

Groves, pleading self-defence, is accused of murdering Frankie in the early hours of July 17 at her address in a killing that shocked a community. She denies the murder. Frankie, 25, was found inside the Botley Drive property just after 8am by officers.

The couple were into ‘rough’ sex including bondage, domination, submission and masochism (BDSM) with Groves setting up CCTV in her house showing recordings of BDSM between the couple.

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The court heard that days before the killing, the couple had a ‘bust-up’ after Frankie called Groves by the name of his ex-girlfriend. Prosecutor Steve Perian KC said Groves told friend Vicki Baitup: ‘I just want to pick up a dagger and put it straight in his neck.’

In a CCTV video played to the court, the prosecutor said it showed Groves conspiring to hurt Frankie and planning for him to be attacked in a ‘dark alleyway’, with her covering her tracks by saying she would get one of the men to ‘kick her’ so Frankie would not suspect she arranged it. ‘It shows an insight into her mind and her ability to hurt and plan whereby she would be considered a victim,’ Mr Perian said.

He added: ‘The recording demonstrates what a cunning, astute and calculating woman she is who is able to think about every fine detail to get away with murder.’

The prosecutor also dismissed Groves claims she had suffered violence and been raped by Frankie following recordings of the couple having BDSM sex. Mr Perian said a video recording on May 23 revealed Groves admitting it was ‘not rape’. He added: ‘(Groves) sent out role play sex videos and said to police she was a victim of violence and rape when in reality the recordings demonstrate it was consensual role play rough sex.’

Outlining the prosecution’s case, he told the court: ‘The prosecution's case is that the defendant is a manipulative, possessive and jealous woman. And in the early hours of Sunday of July 17 she stabbed Frankie Fitzgerald multiple times with a knife in her bedroom and left him to die without seeking any medical assistance to save his life.

‘When she stabbed him she either intended to kill or at very least cause him grievous bodily harm. The killing is very likely to be a crime of passion driven by her jealousy.’

Frankie, who had alcohol and cocaine in his system, woke up after being stabbed and tried to ‘fight back’ before collapsing at the bottom of the bed in a pool of blood.

Mr Perian pointed to Groves lack of remorse as Frankie was lying dead upstairs in her bedroom after she was involved in ‘lovey dovey’ chat with another man. ‘Frankie Fitzgerald’s dead body is in her bedroom and she is having a normal loving conversation and inviting him over to spend time with her,’ the prosecutor added.

Mr Perian said Groves was someone who admired violent criminal Charles Bronson, had serial killer pictures on her bedroom wall and watched murder documentaries. He said she ‘created a false narrative and set up an alibi’ and cleaned the crime scene to get away with murder.

Groves denies murder.

(Proceeding)