Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Massage parlour owner Jill Hibberd stabbed 70 times in 'savage' murder, court hears

Lee Fueloep bought 'a large quantity of heroin and crack cocaine' with proceeds from crime, jury told

Tom Embury-Dennis
Tuesday 27 November 2018 14:29 EST
Jill Hibberd was murdered in her home in South Yorkshire, a court heard
Jill Hibberd was murdered in her home in South Yorkshire, a court heard (South Yorkshire Police)

A 73-year-old massage parlour owner was "savagely and repeatedly" stabbed 70 times by a drug user who then took her sports car, a court heard.

Jill Hibberd sustained injuries to her body, face, neck, arms and legs, and inflicted damage to her kidneys, liver, lung and spleen before she was found dead in her newly-built detached home in Wombwell, South Yorkshire.

Kama Melly QC, prosecuting, told Sheffield Crown Court that Lee Fueloep, 40, "lost control and stabbed Ms Hibberd savagely and repeatedly," during a violent confrontation on 30 May.

"He then moved her body, dragging it by her ankles so the body could not be seen so easily by passers-by," she said.

Ms Melly said Mr Fueloep then "rifled through the handbag of Ms Hibberd and left her home in her Audi TT".

He then disposed of the car that evening and used the cash to buy "a large quantity of heroin and crack cocaine", she added.

"The behaviour of the defendant that night is, you might think, the behaviour of a drug addict who has come into money and is desperate to take enough drugs to just lessen the memories of his behaviour earlier that evening when he rained down those wounds upon Jill Hibberd," she added.

Hibberd was a businesswoman, she said, adding that "one of the businesses she had owned was Fantasia - a massage parlour."

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

Ms Melly added that Mr Fueloep "lived near to Jill Hibberd and did not live in the same self-sufficient manner".

She said: "The defendant was a drug-user and, as a result, would frequently get to the point where he couldn't live off his benefits and would, as an act of desperation, simply knock on people's doors in the local area and try and get money off them."

The prosecutor said Mr Fueloep met another drug-user after the murder and told her "he had done something bad".

She said he bought £200 of crack and heroin, which was more than his friend had ever seen him spend on drugs.

Ms Melly told the jury the defendant and two friends took the drugs at his home, where he lived with his partner and her daughter.

The prosecutor said that, the following morning, the defendant saw the police activity in the area and told a neighbour "I hope they don't think it's me with my record".

Mr Fueloep also of Wombwell denies murder.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in