Serial Killer Obsessed True Crime Fangirl ‘Giggled’ over Murdering Boyfriend with Celtic Dagger

Shaye Groves
Hampshire Police
Kurt Zindulka

A “dark and twisted” woman who was obsessed with serial killers and true crime documentaries has been found guilty of murdering her boyfriend with a Celtic dagger.

Following a five-week trial at the Winchester Crown Court, Shaye Groves, 27, has been found guilty of murdering her boyfriend Frankie Fitzgerald, 25 in Havant, England in July of last year.

Groves, who had framed pictures of prominent serial killers on her wall, such as Jeffrey Dahmer, is said to have flown into a jealous rage after discovering text messages on her boyfriend’s phone and then proceeded to stab him 22 times while he was asleep, finally plunging the Celtic dagger into his heart to stop the “bubbling noise” as he was dying, according to the local Portsmouth paper The News.

After Mr Fitzgerald died with “catastrophic” blood loss, Groves began to concoct a “false alibi” constructed from ideas she had picked up from watching true crime documentaries, The Telegraph reports.

The court heard that she tried to “cover her ass” by sending a message to a friend, Vikki Baitup, that Fitzgerald had left their home after a row despite his body being wrapped up in a blanket and garbage bags in her room at the time.

Groves later video-called her friend and admitted to the murder, and giggled as she told Baitup that her boyfriend was “suicidal anyway” and that “it was alright, they’ll just assume he has gone off and committed suicide”.

Groves changed her story again once at court, trying to convince the jury that she had killed Fitzegerald in of self-defence, claiming that instead of being asleep she attacked him after he pinned her to the bed after an argument.

During the trial, prosecutor Steven Perian KC questioned the self-defence narrative: “If the killing was in self-defence, why go about setting such an elaborate false alibi for yourself? Why didn’t she call the police immediately? Why did she clean up the crime scene? Why did she move the body?

“It was a cunning ploy — nothing was affecting her mind at that time.”

Groves later admitted at the court: “I lost control for a second… longer than a second to be honest. It was over in a matter of seconds.”

The court also heard of her apparent fixation with serial killers, having posters of the likes of Ted Bundy and Rose West on her wall, as well as a coffin-shaped bookcase in which she housed a collection of “decorative” knives.

“The defendant had many gangster books, like Charles Bronson, and has serial killer pictures in frames on her wall and watches murder documentaries,” the prosecutor said.

“The Crown says by reading about and watching these she was familiar with a crime scene, how to create a false narrative, and how to create a false alibi.”

Responding to the conviction, the family of Fitzgerald, a father of one, said in a statement: “As a parent you never expect to outlive your children, you will do anything in your power to protect them. Frankie was our baby, the youngest of five children he can never be replaced.

“He was a kind and beautiful person and sadly leaves two children behind that will never get to know their daddy. We thank the jury for their verdict today. To our Frankie, we love and miss you more than anything in this world. Your shining light will always be our hearts”

Groves will be sentenced for the murder next week.

Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter here @KurtZindulka

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