Martin Stanislaus and Jodie Willis found guilty of murdering High Wycombe man Lee Gillespie - Leigh Burns guilty of manslaughter

The murder trial jury have this afternoon found Beaconsfield resident Jodie Willis - the ex-girlfriend of stabbing victim Lee Gillespie (pictured below) - guilty of murder after arranging for him to be attacked by another of her former partners, Martin Stanislaus.

A third man, Leigh Burns, was cleared of murder but has been found guilty of Mr Gillespie's manslaughter.

READ MORE HERE: Family pay tribute to Lee.

Prosecutors claimed that 38-year-old Stanislaus stabbed Lee Gillespie 15 times in the face, neck and chest in the churchyard of All Saints Church on August 22 last year.

They said that the 26-year-old victim, 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 Mr Gillespie had been "harassing" her.

The eight women and four men of the jury were sent out to consider their verdicts on Monday, having listened to two months' worth of evidence, and announced their guilty verdicts this afternoon.

They had been told that Gillespie was brutally stabbed by Stanislaus when he tripped and fell when trying to run away from the three people who had come to confront him.

Willis, 36, and Stanislaus were also found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

Stanislaus was convicted of a further charge of possessing a knife in public too.

Senior investigating officer, detective chief inspector Ailsa Kent from the Thames Valley Police Major Crime Unit, said: "There is nothing that can bring Lee back, but I hope that the convictions of Stanislaus, Willis and Burns today will help Lee's loved ones as they come to terms with their loss.

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THE VERDICT:

Martin Stanislaus, 38, from Ealing:

• Guilty of murder, guilty of perverting the course of justice and guilty of possessing a knife in public.
• Former partner of Jodie Willis. They have a child together.
• Attacked Mr Gillespie after allegedly being ordered to by Willis.
• Stabbed the victim 15 times, prosecutors claimed.

Jodie Willis, 36, from Beaconsfield:

• Guilty of murder and guilty of perverting the course of justice.
• Was the ex-girlfriend of victim, Lee Gillespie.
• Ordered another former partner, Stanisalus, to kill the 26-year-old victim.

Leigh Burns, 38, from Ealing:

• Guilty of manslaughter.
• Not guilty of murder and not guilty of perverting the course of justice.
• Prosecutors claimed he led Stanislaus and Willis to murder scene.

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"I would like to thank Lee's family for their courage and support throughout the investigation, the officers and CPS who worked on the case, the witnesses for giving evidence and the jury for their careful consideration of the facts."

Following a police investigation last year, Burns was charged alongside Willis and Stanislaus as a secondary party to the murder, having attended the scene of the slaying.

He was cleared of that charge - and of perverting the course of justice, having been accused of trying to hide the dress that Willis wore at the crime scene - but convicted of Mr Gillespie's manslaughter.

Jurors were told that on the day of the murder Stanislaus travelled from his home in Delta Grove, Ealing, West London, to Willis's home with a concealed knife, which was strapped to his back.

He then pulled out the weapon and stabbed Mr Gillespie in the churchyard, where he was declared dead less than half an hour later.

Lee Gillespie was stabbed to death near All Saints Church, in High Wycombe.

Speaking about the incident and investigation, detective chief inspector Kent, said: “Lee Gillespie was killed in a brutal attack by three people while he was in a busy town centre on a Saturday night.

"We will never be able to fully understand what motivated Stanislaus, Burns and Willis to commit such a dreadful act, but it is clear that the former relationship between Willis and Gillespie had some bearing on the events of that night.

"Willis and her former partner, Stanislaus, travelled to Wycombe on that Saturday evening and were led to Lee Gillespie by Burns.

“The three of them chased Lee Gillespie down to a churchyard and Willis and Burns not only stood by and watched, but encouraged Stanislaus to inflict the fatal violence on Lee Gillespie.”

She added: “Back at Willis' home, Stanislaus removed his bloodied clothing and bagged it up with the knife hiding them in the garden where the items were later found by police.

“Willis also changed her clothing after the attack, and discarded her distinctive flowing green dress in some undergrowth near the place where she spent the night in High Wycombe.”

Burns, aged 38 and of Willcott Road, Ealing, 38-year-old Stanislaus and 36-year-old Willis will be sentenced by Judge John Reddihough at 2pm tomorrow afternoon.