Serial killer fan Shaye Groves jailed for life after she stabbed her boyfriend to death

A woman who had an obsession with serial killers has been sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 23 years, for killing her on-off boyfriend. Shaye Groves, aged 27, was found guilty by Winchester Crown Court of cutting the throat of Frankie Fitzgerald, aged 25, and then stabbing him 17 times in the chest in July of the previous year. Groves had attempted to depict herself as the victim in the situation.

Shaye Groves, the woman who was given a life sentence for fatally stabbing her on-off boyfriend, had displayed framed pictures of serial killers on her walls and had an interest in books about gangsters, such as Charles Bronson, and true crime documentaries.

During the sentencing, Mr Justice Kerr condemned Groves for causing long-lasting pain to Fitzgerald's family, but also described the crime as a "crime of passion" and stated that Groves was not a "cold-blooded murderer". He goes on to add, “You loved the man you killed and you killed the man you loved”, as per reports.


It was claimed during the trial that Shaye Groves had stabbed Mr. Fitzgerald upon discovering that he had been messaging a 13-year-old girl on Facebook. However, Mr. Justice Kerr dismissed this explanation and stated that Groves had not realized that Fitzgerald had immediately blocked the girl as soon as she informed him of her age.


According to Steven Perian KC, who prosecuted the case, Shaye Groves had used her knowledge of true crime shows to manipulate her friend, Vicky Baitup, by falsely portraying herself as a victim of Mr. Fitzgerald's sexual violence.

Groves had sent edited videos to her friend, depicting the pair engaging in consensual intercourse as rape. However, the prosecution argued that the original footage showed that the sexual encounters were consensual.

FAQs:

1. When did the jury rule Shaye Groves guilty?
   February 17, 2023.
2. Which court ruled Fitzgerald murder case?
   Winchester Crown Court.