Man accused of Liam Smith murder describes himself as a 'knight in shining armour'

Michael Hillier, 39, alleges he and girlfriend Rachel Fulstow, 37, plotted the attack on Liam Smith, 38, after she told him the electrician raped her at a hotel in 2019.

Members of the victim’s family were ordered to leave the public gallery at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday as they reacted after Hillier described confronting Mr Smith outside his home in Wigan, Greater Manchester, on November 24 last year.

Hillier denies murder but has admitted the manslaughter of Mr Smith, who was lured from his home, shot and had sulphuric acid poured over him as he lay dying.

Fulstow denies murder and perverting the course of justice.

Hillier, who told the jury he was “concerned in the production and distribution of a large-scale cannabis operation”, said his partner “confided” in him in January last year that she had been “graphically raped” by Mr Smith at a hotel.

He said: “We 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.

“It’s not surprising given only 1.6% of all reported rapes make it to court.”

Hillier alleged he and Fulstow had “bounced around” ideas about how to carry out the attack on Mr Smith.

He said: “She most definitely saw me as kind of like her knight in shining armour.”

He told the court he had modified a blank firing gun, but believed it would only stun rather than seriously injure or kill.

Hillier said that on the day of the attack Fulstow packed him a lunchbox full of food supplies, as well as diazepam, hydration tablets and headache tablets.

He told the court he had driven from his home on Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, to Kilburn Drive in Shevington, where Mr Smith lived, on the morning of November 24 and waited there all day, before the attack at about 6.40pm.

Hillier said he had approached the house because he was not sure if Mr Smith was at home and, after seeing him inside, returned to his Mitsubishi Shogun vehicle, which Mr Smith approached a few minutes later.

He said when Mr Smith approached the car, he opened the door and called him a “vile, disgusting rapist”.

He added: “He knew exactly what I was talking about.”

Judge Maurice Greene ordered the public gallery be cleared as members of Mr Smith’s family shouted “you piece of shit” and “f****** stupid t***” at Hillier.

As Mr Smith’s mother left court, she said: “He’s not a rapist.”

Describing the attack, Hillier said: “I didn’t want to let Rachel down. I pulled the trigger.”

He claimed he believed Mr Smith to be unconscious and then poured a bottle of drain cleaner over him.

The court heard that after burning out his car, Hillier returned to Fulstow’s home in York where he learnt Mr Smith had died.

He told the court: “I said to Rachel ‘I know it’s not what we planned but are you happy that he’s died?’

“She said ‘Of course I’m glad he’s died, who wouldn’t be after what he did to me’.”

Turning to the dock, Hillier added: “Remember saying that, Rachel?”

Fulstow, of Andrew Drive, York, has told the court she met Mr Smith in September 2019 after they connected through dating app Tinder.

She said they had sex, which she told the court was not consensual but she did not regard it as a rape.

She denies persuading her partner to carry out the attack.

The trial was adjourned to Tuesday.