A couple who “acted as judge, jury and executioner” have received life sentences for the murder of a Wigan man they accused of rape.
Liam Smith, 38, was shot in the face at point-blank range on 24 November last year by a Sheffield drug dealer, Michael Hillier, 39, who then poured sulphuric acid on his victim in order to “seek justice” for his partner, who claimed Smith had raped her in 2019.
Rachel Fulstow, 37, from York, denied knowing about the attack on Smith until afterwards, when she was too scared to come forward, she said.
Hillier and Fulstow were sentenced at Manchester’s Minshull Street crown court on Thursday to a minimum of 33 and 30 years respectively for plotting and carrying out the murder.
Judge Greene described it as a “brutal and cold-blooded” murder. “It was decided between you; you would exact your own vengeance,” he told them. “The two of you decided to act as judge, jury and executioner.”
Addressing Fulstow, Greene said it was “almost incomprehensible” that she acted the way she did. “Whatever happened between you and Liam Smith can never be justification for what you and Michael Hillier did.”
As they were led from the dock, shouts of “monsters” and “scum” could be heard from the public gallery. Smith’s family said they had been devastated by his murder and the accusation levelled against him.
His sister Gemma read a victim impact statement before the sentencing. She said: “To ever refer to Liam as my brother does not do him justice. He was my rock, the one constant person in life who had my back. We always looked out for each other no matter what. The one person I could depend on.
“This murder has absolutely broken me. He was such a kind-hearted soul and would literally do anything for anyone. He would literally give the shirt off his back.”
She added: “It’s inhumane. No family should have to go through this. Liam was robbed not only of his life, but his dignity. On every single level, our lives have been destroyed.
“I love you so much, Liam, and always will. You did not deserve this. I’m so, so sorry.”
During the trial, the court heard how Hillier and Fulstow went on holiday to Jamaica together in the days after the killing, leaving police to piece together what had happened to Smith in a case involving what they described at the time as a “sickening display of violence”.
After two dozen house searches and numerous public appeals, the couple were tracked down and arrested in January this year.
DCI Gina Brennand, of Greater Manchester police’s major incident team, described the case as “a proper whodunnit from the start”.
“I had a victim that we knew nothing about,” she explained. “No witnesses, no suspects, no weapon, no motive, and very little evidence to go on.”
She said her thoughts were with Smith’s family. “They will never ever get over this tragedy, nor should they be expected to, and the actions of Michael and Rachel were nothing short of despicable.”
