Liam Smith: Former lovers jailed for murder of Tinder date

A woman and her ex-boyfriend have been jailed for murdering a father-of-two who she previously met on a dating app.

Liam Smith, 38, was shot in the face and then had acid poured over him in Shevington, Wigan, on 24 November 2022.

Rachel Fulstow, from York, and Michael Hillier, from Sheffield, were found guilty of his "brutal and cold-blooded murder" after a trial at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court.

The pair were given life sentences with minimum terms of more than 30 years.

Hillier, 39, who was handcuffed in the dock, was told he would serve a minimum of 33 years behind bars while Fulstow, 37, was jailed for 30 years.

In a victim impact statement read to court, Mr Smith's mother, Julia, said the brutal murder had turned her family's world "upside down".

"We are completely broken by this senseless and fatal act on such a kind natured man," his mother said.

"He was a devoted father who worked hard to give his sons the best possible future.

"I cannot return to work because I'm haunted by the initial phone call saying he was missing. Nobody could get in contact with him.

"Me and his younger son went to find him and found a white tent, where he had been lying for 24 hours.

"I constantly think of things he will miss out on. We will never be able to fill this massive void in our lives."

The court had heard Fulstow met Mr Smith on Tinder and the pair went on a date in York in 2019.

She claimed they then had "non-consensual sex" at a hotel but she did not describe it as rape and said she went for lunch with Mr Smith the following day.

In 2021, she began a relationship with Hillier, who she said could be verbally abusive and unpredictable and had not been happy she had a one-night stand with Mr Smith.

She claimed that the first she knew of the attack on Mr Smith was when Hillier turned up at her house the following morning and told her.

The court heard the couple went on holiday to Jamaica together days after the killing.

Hillier, who told the court he was concerned in the production and distribution of a large-scale cannabis operation, said they had both planned the attack on Mr Smith after Fulstow told him she had been "graphically raped".

He told the court they had "decided jointly between the two of us that we would deal with the matter ourselves and seek justice ourselves and go down the vigilante route".

The mother of Mr Smith's children, Lisa Wilkinson, said his death had inflicted "never ending" grief and sadness on their boys.

In a statement read to court, she said: "Liam was genuinely the best and most devoted dad, he loved his boys more than anything and would do anything for them.

"No child should ever have to go through what they have. Not being able to take their pain away just breaks me.

"They have lost a devoted loving father he was truly the best we will miss him forever."

Judge Maurice Greene described Hillier and Fulstow's actions as "brutal and cold-blooded murder".

Judge Greene said: "It was decided between you, you would execute your own vengeance.

"The two of you decided to act as judge, jury and executioner."

The judge said we will "probably never know" what happened between Mr Smith and Fulstow but said it "can never" justify what went on to happen.

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