Leigh Park murder trial: Shaye Groves 'giggled' as she video called 'scared' friend and showed off Frankie Fitzgerald's wounds

Vikki Baitup hoped the horror call from Shaye Groves, 27, was just an ‘elaborate joke’ after she was shown Frankie Fitzgerald’s dead body covered in blood and the disturbing crime scene. Portsmouth dad Frankie, 25, suffered a ‘catastrophic blood loss’ after a dagger was plunged into his neck causing a ‘large split’. The mum continued her frenzied attack with the knife as he was dying after delivering more than 20 other blows to his chest and neck area.

Groves, who had pictures of serial killers on her wall and two axes and four knives in her room, is claiming self-defence during the trial at Winchester Crown Court. Frankie was found dead at Groves’ Botley Drive, Leigh Park, home on July 17.

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In Ms Baitup’s video interview to police, played to the court, she revealed how a ‘giggling’ Groves rang her up and showed her Frankie’s dead body during the video call. ‘I asked her what happened and she was very calm. (Groves) said (her and Frankie) weren’t getting on very well and had an argument to do with her ex and went to bed to sleep,’ she said.

‘(In the morning) she said was on his phone and was going through messages and came across a chat with a 13-year-old girl. (Groves) said: “I lost it, I just lost it and stabbed him in the neck when he was sleeping”.

‘(Groves) said he woke up and started fighting back and that’s when the dagger went round the side of his neck. She said there was blood everywhere. At this point I was thinking “oh my god this is real”.

During the conversation as Ms Baitup quizzed Groves over what she would do with the body, the defendant said she would ‘bury it in the back garden’. When Ms Baitup suggested she would get caught, Groves replied: ‘It will be alright.’

Ms Baitup also told officers how she received text messages from Groves around 5am that morning stating how the defendant claimed she and Frankie had a ‘fight’ before he ‘stormed out’. But the witness said it was to ‘use her as an alibi’ – with Groves later saying she sent the messages to ‘cover my back’ after later admitting the killing.

Ms Baitup said her relationship with Groves became ‘rocky’ in the period leading up to Frankie’s death with Groves’ ‘behaviour more erratic’ as she started using cocaine more.

Referring to the couple’s interest in bondage, domination, submission, masochism (BDSM), Ms Baitup said said Frankie could be violent to Groves. ‘Shaye told me he was abusive to her but it was only ever in a sexual manner,’ she said.

But Ms Baitup added: ‘(Groves) got a thrill out of violence. She was madly in love with him.’

Prosecutor Steve Perian previously told the trial the videos were edited by Groves before being sent to Ms Baitup.

(Proceeding)