Martin Stanislaus, Jodie Willis and Leigh Burns are accused of murdering High Wycombe man Lee Gillespie

Father-of-two Lee Gillespie died after being stabbed 15 times in the head, neck, chest and shoulder blade in a churchyard in Castle Street on August 22 last year.

The future of the three defendants, Martin Stanislaus, Jodie Willis and Leigh Burns, will now be decided by the eight women and four men of the jury following a seven-week trial.

Prosecutors have claimed the 26-year-old, originally from Scotland, was murdered in a vicious knife attack ordered by Willis over the "bitterness and resentment" she felt over a "partner swap", and because Gillespie had been "harassing" her.

In another twist, the court heard that the young man was stabbed to death by 38-year-old Stanislaus - another former partner of Willis and the father of her child.

During the Reading Crown Court trial, the jury was told that Stanislaus and Willis were led to the churchyard by Burns, who at the time of the attack was living with Willis.

Judge John Reddihough summed up the prosecution and defence over two days last week before sending the jury out.

Today has been the first day of deliberations and a verdict is expected to be reached on Stanislaus, Willis and Burns in the next few days.

In recent weeks, the court heard Stanislaus delivered the fatal blows, while Willis and Burns were both with him at the time.

Prosecutors have alleged that the attack was ordered by Willis after she had an argument with Mr Gillespie and his new partner Lea Sinclair in the churchyard on the morning of August 22.

Stanislaus then travelled from his home in Ealing to Beaconsfield, where Willis lives, before the trio allegedly went to Ms Sinclair’s property in Queens Road and wrecked it when they discovered Mr Gillespie was not home.

They then found Mr Gillespie at the churchyard and stabbed him to death after he fell when being chased, the court was told.

In defence, Stanislaus told the jury he stabbed Mr Gillespie as a pre-emptive strike - believing he was about to have a dirty needle used for injecting heroin plunged into him.

• Stanislaus, of Ealing, denies murder, perverting the course of justice and possessing a knife in public.
• Willis, of The Mead in Beaconsfield, and Burns, of Ealing, deny murder and perverting the course of justice.

News of the jury’s verdict will be published online as soon as it is revealed.