Man given life sentence for murder of Bristol man in Wiltshire stabbing
Police have described the attack in 2024 as "brutal and sustained"
Last updated 27 minutes ago
A man has been given a life sentence for the murder of a Bristol man in Wiltshire.
Raymond Groves, 48, from Hartcliffe, died after being stabbed on the 2nd July 2024 in Easterton.
Back in May, following an 11-week trial, Helen Shakespeare, 55, from Strawberry Fields, Easterton, was found guilty of manslaughter, while Anthony Hodges-Hillier, 35, from Brooklands, Royal Wootton Bassett, was convicted of murder.
Letishia Goodwin, 31, also of Strawberry Fields, Easterton, was found guilty of participating in the murder.
Today (2 July 2026), exactly two years on from the incident, Hillier was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 26 years.
Shakespeare was sentenced to five years in prison and Goodwin was given a hospital order.
The court heard how On July 2nd 2024, Raymond visited Goodwin’s address in Easterton, seeking Shakespeare, with whom he shared a previous relationship.
Shortly after arriving he was met at the front door by Shakespeare, with Hillier waiting inside the property.
While inside the property, Raymond was stabbed multiple times.
Emergency services attended, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Goodwin had been brought back to the house by Hillier prior to police and the ambulance service arriving.
She called 999 to report a male had been found dead at her home.
The investigation into Groves's death was conducted by Wiltshire Police's Major Crime Investigation Team.
It found through CCTV and mobile phone enquiries that Hillier had been at the address when Raymond arrived, and the plan to cause harm to Raymond had been in the planning between the group for months.
The trial took place at Salisbury Crown Court, although Goodwin was absent due to being deemed unfit to stand trial.
James Purcell, from Wiltshire Police's Major Crime Investigation Team, said: “This has been an exceptionally complex and demanding investigation, spanning many months and culminating in an 11‑week trial. From the outset, we were faced with conflicting accounts, a fast‑moving and violent incident, and a web of relationships that required painstaking work to untangle. Our team worked tirelessly to piece together Raymond’s final moments that night back in 2024.
“Through our enquiries we established there had been a significant amount of planning that went into this murder via messages located on mobile phones in the days and week leading up to the incident, with previous plans to harm Raymond not coming to fruition.”
Detective Chief Inspector Deb Hatch said: “Raymond’s death was the result of a brutal and sustained attack, and today’s verdicts reflect the gravity of the actions taken by those responsible.
“I want to pay tribute to the dedication of every officer and staff member involved, and to Raymond’s family, who have shown remarkable strength throughout an incredibly difficult process. The thoughts of all those on the investigation team remain with his family at this difficult time.”