Leigh Park murder trial: Shaye Groves jailed for life for the murder of on-off boyfriend Frankie Fitzgerald

Ruthless killer Shaye Groves, 27, was locked away for murdering Frankie Fitzgerald, 25, after a frenzied knife attack at her Botley Drive, Leigh Park, home on July 17 in which she stabbed him in the neck and chest 22 times.

Groves, who denied the offence after pleading self-defence, smiled after she was found guilty by jurors at Winchester Crown Court last week following four days of deliberations - the same court her serial killer icon Rose West was jailed at in 1995.

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Today she was back at the court to be sentenced by judge Timothy Kerr, who imposed a life term with a minimum sentence of 23 years. As the sentence was handed down, Groves, who had been seen joking in the dock during the trial and after she was found guilty, was motionless as the sentence was delivered.

Judge Kerr said described the killing as a ‘senseless murder’ that was a ‘crime of passion’. ‘You lost your temper and acted on impulse. If you could not have Frankie no one could,’ he said, before adding: ‘You loved the man you killed, and you killed the man you loved. You are not a cold-blooded murderer, a crime of passion is not committed in cold blood.’

Speaking of the impact on Frankie’s family, the judge said: ‘You have robbed Frankie’s family and loved ones of their son and brother and his two young children of their father. You ended his life while he was still in his mid-twenties.

‘You have not only taken his life, you have blighted those of his mother, father, siblings and children, for decades to come. Until last week you showed little concern for their suffering, present and future. Your interest was in yourself, not others.’

Frankie’s dad Barry, in a victim statement, said both he and Frankie’s mum were ‘broken‘ and ‘couldn’t believe it’ when police told him about their son’s killing. ‘He had his whole life in front of him. It was snatched from him,’ he said before continuing: ‘I want to wake up and believe it didn’t happen.’

He added: ‘I love you son. You are a shining light who will always be in our hearts.’

Frankie’s mum Roseanne described Frankie as her ‘shining light’ who was a ‘kind and beautiful person’, who was the youngest of her five children.

Frankie’s former partner and the mum of his two ‘beautiful’ young children, Charlene Scutt said his murder had been completely heartbreaking’ with her ‘struggling to imagine the future positively’.

Speaking of the impact on the children, she said: ‘I feel it will never be over as the children will always have questions.’

Referring to ‘thoughtful’ Frankie she added: ‘I don’t think he realised how much he was loved.’

Prosecutor Steven Perian KC described Groves as a ‘cold blooded murderer’ after Frankie was stabbed while asleep following an ‘overwhelming attack’. He clarified that Frankie had blocked a girl who had messaged him prior to the attack which the trial heard had led to Groves lashing out. The judge confirmed it had actually been a 17-year-old who had messaged Frankie. The jury’s guilty verdict meant they ‘rejected’ her defence claims.

Groves’ barrister Michael Goodwin KC said there was a ‘lack of premeditation’ and said the relationship was ‘capable of being termed abusive’.