A woman who allegedly ‘giggled’ after she stabbed her boyfriend to death in his sleep lied to police that he had raped her and threatened to leak a sex tape of them on Facebook to ‘make his life a misery’, a court has heard.
Mother-of-one Shaye Groves, a true crime fan who had pictures of serial killers such as Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer on her bedroom wall, is accused of having launched a ‘passionate’ attack on Frankie Fitzgerald at her home in Havant, Hampshire on July 17 last year.
Prosecutors told Winchester Crown Court that the 27-year-old fabricated claims that her boyfriend had abused and raped her, and had previously threatened to make his life ‘a misery’ by leaking videos of the pair – alleged to have started using cocaine together in the months before the killing – having sex.
However, jurors heard that Groves was ‘obsessed’ with Mr Fitzgerald’s ‘performance in the bedroom’, with the couple’s sex life involving bondage, dominance, submission and masochism – and that the recordings had showed the sexual acts had been ‘consensual’.
Groves had even told Mr Fitzgerald she could be woken by sexual intercourse, in a note written by the accused, the court was told.
The defendant had also blackmailed another lover with a sex tape by threatening to show the video to his new girlfriend if he didn’t do what she wanted – namely, a lift into town and back for a night out, prosecutors alleged.
Shaye Groves, 27, is alleged to have launched a ‘passionate’ attack on her ‘sleeping’ boyfriend Frankie Fitzgerald
A note read out in court said: ‘I, Shaye Groves give Frankie Fitzgerald permission to wake me up through sexual intercourse from the date of 22 March until further notice.’
The mother-of-one was said to have owned four ‘decorative’ knives – with depictions of film villains Chuckie, Jigsaw and Pennywise on – which she and Mr Fitzgerald used for ‘knife play’ in the bedroom.
Groves denies murdering the 25-year-old father of one by stabbing him 22 times in a ‘crime of passion’.
Jurors heard evidence from one of Groves’ friends, Vikki Baitup, who told police that she suspected the mother got a ‘thrill’ from the ‘abusive’ sexual nature of their relationship.
Winchester Crown Court heard the couple had a camera set up in the bedroom which captured them having sex – the recordings of which Groves was said to use to blackmail lovers.
In her interview with police, which was played in court, Ms Baitup said: ‘She compiles evidence against everyone to see how she can use them as leverage.’ She said Groves recorded herself having sex with one ex-boyfriend and then threatened to show the video to his new girlfriend if he didn’t do what she wanted – namely, a lift into town and back for a night out.
Ms Baitup also told officers Groves had a violent history, recounting two occasions in which she attacked Lauren White, who lived with her – once with nail clippers, leaving her head bleeding.
Groves told police she had been attacked and raped by Mr Fitzgerald, but the prosecution say all sex between them was consensual and ‘they had a safe word’.
Jurors heard Ms Baitup tell police she thought Groves got a ‘thrill’ from the alleged sexual abuse she had clips of.
‘I think Shaye got some sort of thrill or enjoyment from being in the relationship,’ she said.
‘I got the impression she got a thrill from some of the abuse.’
In a later interview with police, Ms Baitup said Groves had been seeing another man alongside Mr Fitzgerald, in a ‘balancing act’. She told police: ‘It was so close to the two of them seeing each other. Shaye was playing [them]. You never knew which one was going to turn up.’
Jurors heard that Groves was ‘not shy about talking about her sex life’ – having made an agreement with Mr Fitzgerald she could be woken up ‘by sexual intercourse until further notice’ in a written note.
Groves claimed to police she had been raped by Mr Fitzgerald (pictured). But prosecutors argue this was never the case and said sex between the couple had been consensual
It was signed by Groves, Mr Fitzgerald and Ms Baitup as a witness – who told police the two had picked up a cocaine habit a couple of months prior to the killing.
Explaining Groves’ previous violence to Ms White, Ms Baitup said she had ‘swiped’ at Ms White with nail clippers, leaving a ‘gash’ in her head – and her anger only subsiding after she ‘saw a bit of blood – she calmed down’.
The court has previously heard that after the killing Groves made a ‘false alibi’ for herself, inspired by tips from true crime documentaries to avoid getting caught after her ‘crime of passion’.
Such was her interest in murderers, Groves had framed portraits of notorious serial killers including Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer on her bedroom wall, according to Ms Baitup.
Police at the scene on Botley Drive, Havant
A pathologist’s report read to the court explained Mr Fitzgerald was stabbed 17 times to the front of the chest, twice to other chest areas and three to times to the neck – resulting in his death after ‘multiple perforations of heart and lungs’ and ‘catastrophic blood loss’.
Footage from officers who arrived at the scene was also played to the court, who reported an ‘incredibly strong’ smell of bleach in the bedroom.
Groves denies murder, claiming she acted in self defence.
The trial continues.
