Joss Stone speaks of relief after two violent criminals are found guilty of plotting to BEHEAD her

Joss Stone speaks of relief after two violent criminals are found guilty of plotting to BEHEAD her

Singer Joss Stone today spoke of her “relief” that two violent criminals who plotted to kidnap and BEHEAD her were behind bars.

Kevin Liverpool, 35 and his flatmate Junior Bradshaw, 32, were both found guilty of conspiring to murder the superstar singer as part of a sick and twisted plot to steal cash.

Speaking after the verdicts Joss said: “I’d like to thank everyone for all their support and kind wishes.

“I am relieved the trial is now over and that these men are no longer in a position to cause harm to anyone.”

The nightmarish duo targeted the soul diva because of her glamorous lifestyle and links to the Royal family.

When they were captured they were armed to the teeth with a terrifying murder kit which included a 94cm long Samurai sword too large for the boot of their car, a chisel, a spike and some hammers.

They intended to kidnap the 25-year-old, rob her and dump her headless corpse in a river before fleeing abroad.

The two men are believed to have hatched the unhinged plot after watching Joss’ appearance on the television programme MTV Cribs, in which famous people guide viewers around their homes.

And in a sinister twist it emerged during the trial that it may have been Ms Stone’s close personal friendship with Prince William and Prince Harry which also brought her onto the deranged radar of Liverpool and Bradshaw.

Prosecutor Simon Morgan told the jury during the trial: “Joss Stone associates with members of 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.

“Hence she becomes a target.”

In the frightening notes kept by Liverpool which were discovered by Devon and Cornwall police, he chillingly referred to Ms Stone as “Princes s”.

The documents also expressed deep hatred for the Royal family.

One note added: “The Queen â€" she-devil. But she likes Joss Stone. Invited to Will’s wedding by Queen. Where’s the sense in that?”

But Ms Stone was not the only celebrity targeted in Liverpool’s rambling diary of death which was discovered in the boot of his car alongside his murderous arsenal of weapons.

 

Other musical stars were listed in his notes, such as Dizzee Rascal, Eminem, Beyonce, Craig David, R Kelly, Chris Brown and Girls Aloud.

The evil duo were only prevented from carrying out their brutal plan because they were spotted acting suspiciously on the way to Joss’ secluded home in the Devon countryside.

They were within miles of their unsuspecting celebrity target when eagle-eyed locals reported them to police who intercepted them just in time.

The men had set off from Manchester in the early hours of 13 June, 2011, falsely believing Miss Stone could have £1million in cash at her home.

When they were stopped by the police in a country lane in Collumpton, Devon, cops were shocked to discover their beat-up Fiat Punto was laden with an arsenal of weapons.

In the car was a 94cm long Samurai sword and some hose pipe.

In the front foot well of the car were balaclava helmets and gloves, maps and various notes and a lock knife.

On the back seat was a holdall with gaffer tape in it, a roll of plastic ‘body’ bags, a metal spike chisel and a hammer.

Police also found marked maps, route planners and hand written notes referring by name to the internationally acclaimed singer.

The notes - which police think were crib sheets for the duo - read chilling words like ‘Jocelyn is a she devil in flesh’, ‘find a river to dump her in’ as well as the words ‘rob and kill’ , ‘money in the safe’ and ‘Joscelyn rob’ - Joss Stone’s real name is Jocelyn Stoker.

They also read ‘I don’t just kill for dollars, only for good cause or reason, an eye for an eye’, ‘kills: decapitate them’.

The chilling notes also included details of the singer’s date and place of birth and a biography of her musical career, including the albums she has released.

During the three-week trial at Exeter Crown Court, the award-winning singer revealed she had never worried about he r own safety until the police came knocking at her door.

Guilty: Kevin Liverpool (L) and Junior Bradshaw

Giving evidence to jurors, the soul star admitted there was lax security at her home but said she only learnt of the plot against her when told by police.

Miss Stone, who was referred to by her real name, said: “I’ve lived in Devon for a long time and nobody really shuts their door.

“I had an alarm but I did not really turn it on very much. I didn’t really have a lock on my door... But I do now.”

Award-winning Joss has sold 11 million albums and sung with Mick Jagger and Elton John

She was just 16 when she had her first hit - Fell In Love With A Boy - in 2004 and had just turned 17 when she stormed the Brit awards picking up gongs for best British Female Solo Artist and British Urban Act.

She was hailed as the ‘white Aretha Franklin’ and has had success on both sides of the Atlantic.

Throughout the trial Liverpool and Bradshaw’s defence team claimed the two men were nothing but fantasists and bunglers who would never have gone through with the murder.

But the testimony of local postman Alex Greening torpedoed the defence of both men.

He was on his early-morning rounds when he encountered the pair on June 13, who wound down their window and asked for directions.

His evidence was crucial because he revealed how the two men had not only asked where Joss Stone lived, but also showed him a picture of the singer.

Bradshaw claimed he had never heard of Joss Stone, but he must have overheard the inquiry and seen the picture.

Liverpool claimed the whole plot was a deluded fantasy.

But the postman’s evidence showed it was not only real but very close to being carried through.

Jailing Liverpool for life today, Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, said that although his plan was ‘a crazy scheme from a crazy mind’ it still had deadly intent.

The judge told Liverpool: “You identified Joss Stone as a target.

“You had no reason to target her except you a ssumed she would be a wealthy young woman as she is a successful singer and was, as you thought, a friend of members of the Royal Family.

“What you did, and what you took with you from Manchester to Devon shows it was a very real plan which you intended to carry out.

“You drove to Devon armed with a Samurai sword, two hammers, balaclavas, maps, and directions to her house.

“By the jury’s verdicts it was your intention to kill her in order to rob her in order to escape detection.

“She was a random target chosen because she is a popular singer who you thought would be very wealthy and therefore a suitable target.

“For all these reasons, I regard you as a very dangerous man who poses a significant risk to the public of committing other serious offences.”

Junior Bradshaw, 32, will be sentenced at a later date pending further psychiatric reports.