Killer implicating girlfriend in alleged murder because she has 'thrown him under the bus', jury told
16.08.2023 - 17:11
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A self confessed killer told a jury that he was seeking to implicate his girlfriend in an alleged murder because she had ‘thrown him under the bus’. Michael Hillier admits shooting Liam Smith in the face outside his home in Wigan in November last year, before dousing him in acid.
He has claimed that his girlfriend Rachel Fulstow was also involved in the alleged murder, and helped to plot the killing. She denies this. Jurors at Minshull Street Crown Court have heard that Ms Fulstow had been on a Tinder date with 38-year-old dad-of-two Mr Smith three years before the fatal shooting.
Prosecutors claim that they acted together in revenge following an allegation that Ms Fulstow was raped by Mr Smith during the date in a hotel room. She has said she didn’t regard it as rape, and didn’t involve the police.
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Hillier, 39, of Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but denies murder. He has said that he didn’t intend for Mr Smith to die.
Ms Fulstow, 37, of Andrew Drive, York, denies murder, manslaughter and perverting the course of justice. As he gave evidence for a third day, Hillier was questioned by Ms Fulstow’s barrister.
Michael Hayton KC put it to him that he was trying to ‘seek to convict Rachel Fulstow of a criminal offence'. “Much to my reluctance,” Hillier said.
“I hate that it has come to this. Do you think I want to implicate the woman that I love in this?”
Mr Hayton continued: “All you want is to cause her to be convicted." The defendant replied: “I have been backed into a corner, where I have got no choice.
“I would have carried the full can for Rachel, if she hadn’t thrown me under the bus in the