A serial killer-obsessed mother ‘giggled’ after she brutally stabbed her lover to death before video-calling a friend to show her the body, a court heard today.
Shaye Groves, 27, who had framed portraits of notorious killers including Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer on her bedroom wall, allegedly told a friend: ‘I’ve done him’ after launching an attack on sleeping boyfriend Frankie Fitzgerald.
The mother-of-one, who owned a set of decorative knives adorned with film villains, is said to have used bladed articles in the bedroom for ‘knife play’ and enjoyed masochism, bondage and submission with Mr Fitzgerald at her Havant home.
Groves, who denies murder, is alleged to have stabbed her boyfriend 22 times in a ‘crime of passion’ on July 17 last year before creating a ‘false alibi’ using true crime documentaries as her inspiration.
The court heard how Groves (above) grew ‘obsessed’ with Mr Fitzgerald’s ‘performance in the bedroom’, with the couple’s sex life involving bondage, dominance, submission and masochism
Groves and Mr Fitzgerald had rekindled an old relationship after meeting at a pub in Cosham, Hampshire, in January last year.
The court heard how Groves grew ‘obsessed’ with Mr Fitzgerald’s ‘performance in the bedroom’, with the couple’s sex life involving bondage, dominance, submission and masochism.
Jurors heard today at Winchester Crown Court that after the killing, Groves video-called friend Vikki Baitup who was horrified to see his body with ‘an enormous’ knife wound.
Groves had allegedly sent Ms Baitup a message in the early hours of July 17 where she hoped to create a ‘false alibi’ by stating Fitzgerald had left her home.
Ms Baitup told police how she received a phone call from a ‘giggling’ Groves who held a ‘very normal conversation’ where they discussed their weekend.
Groves then proceeded to start a video call, where she went upstairs to her bedroom and pointed the camera at Fitzgerald before stating: ‘I’ve done him’, the court heard.
Jurors heard Ms Baitup, who ‘couldn’t believe it was real’, asked the pair if they were ‘having me on’ – to which Groves went back up to her bedroom to show her Mr Fitzgerald’s body – wrapped in a duvet and lying on bin bags – twice more.
At one point during the call, when Ms Baitup raised her voice, Groves told her ‘shhh, the kids are in the house’.
Ms Baitup continued: ‘Groves got really close to the wound.
‘I don’t think I had really grasped what happened earlier. The gash was so deep – it was enormous.’
Police at the scene on Boltley Drive, Havant, after the alleged murder of Mr Fitzgerald
Reporting the incident to police, Ms Baitup said ‘I watch crime scenes but this is too real – there was a massive gash in his neck’
In response to Groves’ ‘calmly’ delivered explanation about what had happened – that she had gone through his phone and seen he was messaging ‘a teenage girl’ – Ms Baitup said: ‘While he was asleep she put the dagger through his neck and that’s when he woke.
Frankie Fitzgerald, pictured, was stabbed 22 times and suffered ‘catastrophic’ blood loss
‘He was asleep, she wasn’t even in danger. I could understand if he was attacking her but she told me he was asleep and he couldn’t even fight back.’
Jurors heard from Ms Baitup that Groves had four ‘decorative’ knives hanging on the wall for her and Mr Fitzgerald as ‘both of them were into knife play when it came to intercourse’.
The four knives had depictions of Chuckie, Jigsaw and Pennywise on, and hung near two axes – all of which were ‘easily accessible to anyone’.
Ms Baitup told the court Groves had ‘watched enough murder documentaries’ – to know her plan to bury Mr Fitzgerald’s body ‘in the back garden’ wouldn’t work.
Such was her interest in murderers, Groves had framed portraits of notorious serial killers including Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, according to Ms Baitup.
Jurors heard from Ms Baitup that Groves was also known to ‘carry a knife’ with her ‘for safety’ when walking alone in the evenings.
At the end of the call, Ms Baitup said Groves’ last words were ‘we’re still friends aren’t we?’
The court heard a pathologist’s report which 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, which is expected to last four weeks, continues.
DailyMail
