Woman 'did not know about any acid attack plan', murder trial jury told

A woman told police she did not know her boyfriend was going to shoot and pour acid on a man over a one-night stand she had with the victim, a murder trial heard.

Father-of-two Liam Smith, 38, was lured out of his home and blasted at close range with a gun by Michael Hillier, 39, who then poured the corrosive liquid, probably sulphuric acid, on the face and body of his stricken victim, burning away his flesh, a jury at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester was told.

Mr Smith was left for dead in the street outside his house, with the chemicals still 'fizzing' on his body when he was found shortly after the attack in the early evening of November 24 last year.

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Mr Smith, an electrician from Wigan, had had a 'brief liaison' with Hillier's co-accused, former nail technician Rachel Fulstow, 37, with a one-night stand in a York hotel in 2019.

The next year she became the partner of Hillier, from Sheffield, who was not happy about the fling and was 'led to believe she had been raped', Jason Pitter KC, prosecuting, told the jury.

Both Fulstow, from Andrew Drive, York and Hillier, from Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, deny murder. Hillier has admitted manslaughter, Fulstow has pleaded not guilty to the same charge. She also denies a single count of perverting the course of justice.

Fulstow was initially treated as a witness by police until she was arrested in February this year. She was taken to Ashton Police Station, where a detective told her 'things had changed' due to 'inconsistencies and further developments' in the investigation.

Fulstow was told she was now under suspicion for joint enterprise murder by assisting or