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Wigan dad ‘shot in face’ by boyfriend of woman he had ‘one-night stand’ with
The murdered dad-of-two was shot and doused in acid in act of revenge, a jury heard
A murder trial heard how Wigan dad Liam Smith was ‘shot in the face’ and attacked with acid by the boyfriend of a woman he had a ‘one-night stand’ with.
Liam Smith, 38, was lured out of his home on Kilburn Drive, in Shevington, and blasted at close range with a gun by Michael Hillier, 39, who then poured corrosive liquid – thought to be sulphuric acid – on his face and body, burning away his flesh, a jury at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard yesterday (Tuesday, July 11th).
Mr Smith, a father-of-two, was left for dead in the street just steps away from his home with the chemicals still ‘fizzing’ on his body when he was found in the early evening of November 24th 2022.
The court was told how Mr Smith, an electrician, had had a ‘brief liaison’ with Hillier’s co-accused and former nail technician Rachel Fulstow, 37, who ‘encouraged’ and ‘assisted’ the attack, prosecutors allege.
The next year Fulstow became the girlfriend of Hillier, from Sheffield, with the latter not happy about the ‘one-night stand’ and having been ‘led to believe Fulstow had been raped’, opening prosecutor Jason Pitter KC, told the jury.
Hillier, from Ecclesall Road in Sheffield, has admitted killing Mr Smith after pleading guilty to manslaughter but both Hillier and Fulstow, from Andrew Drive in York, deny murder.
Mr Pitter told the jury the pair had planned the murder and Liam Smith was executed, saying: “Why do we say that? Well, having been drawn out of his house he was blasted, at probably close range, in the face with a shot from a gun.
“That was fatal, it penetrated his brain and would have brought him instantly to the ground.
“However the killer, dressed in a high visibility jacket with a head torch, did not stop there. He then proceeded to pour acid onto the face and body of Liam Smith, followed by soda crystals.
“The result was that his flesh burned away in those areas where the acid made contact with his skin.”
At Minshull Street Crown Court on Tuesday July 11th, Mr Smith’s family became tearful in the public gallery while CCTV footage from the attack was played to the jury, which included the sound of the gun being fired.
Mr Pitter told the jury Mr Smith and Fulstow had the ‘brief liaison’ at a York hotel in 2019 with Fulstow becoming the partner of Hillier the next year, allegedly sparking the murder plot.
He continued: “It appears that he was not happy about the fact of her having had a one night stand and was led to believe that she had been raped.
“We will wait to see what the precise motivation for the killing of Liam Smith was.
“One proper conclusion is that Liam Smith’s brief interaction with Fulstow was in a distorted and extreme way the cause for him being their target. In due course she was to go on to say that she believed that she had not consented to have sex with Liam Smith on that night in the hotel in York which she had booked.
“However, even if that is right, she had put it down to a, ‘misunderstanding’ of the situation between them and that she herself held no ill feeling to Liam Smith.
“It is factually relevant but does not need resolving as to what exactly happened between them. Liam Smith cannot answer for himself. In any event, it is shrouded in uncertainty, even on her version, and would never justify the extreme violence and murder of him.”
Mr Pitter said although Hillier alone carried out the attack, he was not solely responsible for Mr Smith’s death, and that Fulstow ‘played her part’ adding: “The culmination of a well-orchestrated and executed plot. That in effect is what happened to Liam Smith; he was executed.
“He was not working alone. The prosecution say that he was assisted in the organisation, preparation and execution of the attack by the first defendant, Rachel Fulstow, his then girlfriend.”
Jurors were told prosecution evidence includes CCTV and vehicle recognition footage, mobile telephone tracking and internet searches carried out by Fulstow before and after the murder.
“This could not have been a mere coincidence,” Mr Pitter said as he continued: “One conclusion is that attention within the relationship between the defendants was turning onto Liam Smith.
“That use of her telephone we say marks the first significant outward activity towards his killing by them.”
Jurors were told of how a week after the murder both defendants went on holiday for a fortnight to Jamaica. But detectives had managed to trace the Mitsubishi Shogun on false licence plates allegedly used by Hillier during the attack, leading to Hillier, then Fulstow, being arrested.
Both Fulstow and Hillier deny murder. Hillier has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, while Fulstow has pleaded not guilty to the same charge. She also denies a single count of perverting the course of justice.
The continuing trial, which began on Monday, is expected to last up to four weeks.
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Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
News
More human remains discovered in Greater Manchester as police identify victim
All the latest updates
Detectives investigating the discovery of a torso in Kersal Dale have found more human remains around Greater Manchester.
GMP released a statement on the weekend, revealing they had opened four scenes for extensive searches – one of them at a warehouse in Bury, and three in Salford.
Searches took place at Blackleach reservoir, where human remains were found, and a dog walker found a package containing human remains at Colliery Wood.
Officers believe they have now identified the man, who they believe to be a man in his 60s that lived in Salford, and his family have been informed.
Two suspects have already been arrested in connection with the murder probe, with officers saying they are thought to have lived with the victim.
Greater Manchester Police / Facebook
Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes, Senior Investigating Officer for this investigation, said in a statement at Blackleach reservoir yesterday, Sunday April 28th: “We have continued to make significant progress in our investigation into human remains being found in Kersal earlier this month.
“From day one, our priority has been to identify the man and his family so that we can give them the support and the answers that they need.
“Thanks to meticulous forensic work, we are now confident we have identified the man. Formal identification hasn’t yet taken place, but we believe he is a man in his 60s and lived in Salford.
“Specially-trained family liaison officers have met with his family this afternoon to give them the devastating news, and we will do all that we can to support them at this awful time.
“We believe he is known to the two suspects we have in custody. They have remained in custody for questioning over the weekend, as we work to establish how the victim met this tragic outcome.”
He continued: “We have painstakingly worked to follow up every line of inquiry in this investigation. Over the last couple of days, we have acted on information and had four scenes in place for extensive searches – one of them is at a warehouse in Bury, and three of them are in Salford, including here at Blackleach reservoir.
“Today, we have found some human remains at the reservoir here, and last night a dog walker found a package containing human remains at Colliery Wood. Forensic tests will continue to establish whose remains these are, but we are very confident that this is also the victim in our investigation.
“We have also been searching a house in Winton where we believe the victim and the two suspects lived. We have found evidence that the victim is likely to have died there – most likely in late March.
“While this is significant progress, we know there is still some way to go to complete this investigation. I also recognise details of this case will have been distressing for the people of Salford and beyond – including the officers that are diligently working on this investigation, and most importantly the man’s heartbroken family.
“Local officers will continue to patrol the affected areas, and we will provide updates when we have more information.”
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