The two men who plotted to rob and murder Joss Stone because of her royal connections were found guilty on Wednesday. Junior Bradshaw, 32, and Kevin Liverpool, 35, both from Manchester, were arrested as they conspired to rob and murder the 25-year-old soul singer while armed with a samurai sword in June 2011.
They deny conspiracy to murder, rob and cause the singer grievous bodily harm. The Super Duper Love singer has crossed paths with the young royals on numerous occasions, prompting the accused to plot their attack. Joss had attended William and Kate's wedding in April 2011, shortly before the attempted assault. Junior told the jury he had never heard of Joss Stone until his arrest and he thought he was on a day out with his friend. Consultant psychiatrist Dr Michael Alcock likened Junior to a "goldfish in a bowl". He said he suffered from disorganised schizophrenia and had such a poor understanding of time that he thought the alleged murder plot happened only two or three months ago. "They were doing nothing other than living out a frightening fantasy," Kevin's barrister Philip King QC told jurors.
During the trial, the jury heard how Joss had become a target because of her links with the royal family. "Her concerts have been attended by members of it and she was invited to the royal wedding at the very end of April that year," said prosecutor Simon Morgan. "Hence she became a target." She performed in front Prince William and Prince Harry at The City Salute, of which the brothers are both patrons, at St Paul's Cathedral in 2008. They invited her to sing there following her performance at The Concert for Diana, which marked the 10th anniversary of the death of their mother, at Wembley Stadium in 2007. "It's not like I'm down at the pub with Will every Friday," she said before the wedding. "When we do see each other, we just get along really well." The offenders researched the singer by watching an episode of MTV's Cribs which she made about her previous home in Devon, Exeter crown court heard. In 2008 she moved to a house in Ashill, near Cullompton, the village where she grew up. Although her life was "nomadic" at the time of the attempted attack due to her touring schedule, she was at home when the pair allegedly sought to carry out the murder. Concerned neighbours raised the alarm when they spotted the men in a car, who were "agitated and behaving abnormally". Police stopped the car and found equipment including a samurai sword, body bags, balaclavas and gaffer tape. Joss, whose hits include Fell In Love With A Boy and L.O.V.E, has sold more than 11 million albums worldwide and has a fortune currently estimated at £10 million.
