Pair planned to decapitate star Joss Stone with sword, court told

Junior Bradshaw and Kevin Liverpool harboured deep hatred for the soul singer, who they referred to as a “she-devil”, it was claimed.

The pair, originally from Huddersfield, set off from their home in Manchester with a Samurai sword, knives, bags and gloves crammed in their Fiat Punto, bound for Miss Stone’s address in mid-Devon, Exeter Crown Court was told yesterday.

It is claimed the alleged plot was fraught with problems. The pair were spoken to by police after a crash on the journey south.

They also asked a postman for directions to Miss Stone’s home using a picture of the pop star in an attempt to track her down, the court heard.

The pair had were said to have gathered evidence about one of Miss Stone’s former homes, near Cullompton off the M5, after studying a video documentary made for a TV series.

They also printed out Google street maps to track down her new address, which was a short distance away, the prosecution alleged.

It is claimed that notes found in the defendants’ possession showed they intended to decapitate the pop star.

The pair were arrested a few miles from Miss Stone’s home, the jury heard.

Bradshaw, 32, and Liverpool, 35, deny charges of conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to rob, in 2011.

Opening the case, prosecutor Simon Morgan QC said: “This case is about a decision by a group of individuals, of which these defendants are two, to rob and kill Joss Stone. That is not a phrase I have plucked from the air. It is used in documents written by Mr Liverpool during the planning stages of this plot.”

The trial, which is expected to last three weeks, continues today.