Man jailed for murdering his girlfriend
A man has been jailed for murdering his girlfriend and trying to kill two men he suspected of affairs.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that Robert Massey, 43, murdered his partner Jacqueline Forrest in her own home because he believed she had been unfaithful to him with two men.
He murdered Ms Forrest, 49, in the house in Piele Road, Haydock, St. Helens, at about 7pm on Tuesday 30 August 2022.
He then set about planning to kill the men he thought she was having an affair with.
He lured Anthony Murphy to the house in Piele Road around 8.30am the following day and stabbed him. He then planned an attack on Graham Roberts. He travelled to his workplace in Liverpool and stabbed him there.
The two men survived, but Massey told the Police that he intended to kill them both. He admitted to the Police that he’d murdered Ms Forrest.
Massey and Ms Forrest had been a couple since the summer of 2020 but there had been problems in recent months.
On the day of the murder, Massey was at the flat and began scrolling through Ms Forrest’s phone. He saw messages that made him believe she had been unfaithful to him with Mr Murphy and Mr Roberts.
He later told the police that he “saw red” and attacked Ms Forrest. He grabbed her by the throat and punched her several times to the face and head.
He kept his hand around her throat for a considerable time and Ms Forrest collapsed. Massey later said he remembered thinking that he had “ruined her beautiful face.”
He then placed items of jewellery on the body of Ms Forrest before stabbing her to the stomach. He daubed insults on her body with a green pen. After the murder, Massey drank and took cocaine and left the flat about four hours later.
He started to plan his “revenge” on the two men he thought were having an affair with Ms Forrest.
He took her mobile phone with him and sent a threatening message to Anthony Murphy. He updated the Facebook page of Ms Forrest who, by this time, had been dead for several hours.
Early the following morning he texted Mr Murphy, both as himself on his phone and then pretending to be Ms Forrest on her phone, asking Mr Murphy to come to the flat. When he came, he was presented with the dead body of Ms Forrest and Massey stabbed him several times.
Worried neighbours had heard the disturbance. The police were called, and Ms Forrest body was discovered. Mr Murphy was taken to Liverpool’s Aintree hospital where surgeons managed to save his life.
Massey then travelled to the Norris Green area of Liverpool where he confronted Mr Roberts and chased after him and stabbed him. Mr Roberts managed to get away in a passing car. He was treated for his injuries later at hospital. Mr Massey was arrested near the scene on the third attack on Long Lane and arrested.
He was charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder. On 10 October 2022 at Liverpool Crown Court, he pleaded guilty. On 10 November 2022, he was sentenced to life and must serve a minimum of 28 years.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Kelly Ward, of CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said: “Robert Massey brutally murdered a woman he’d been in a relationship with and claimed to love. He then attempted to murder two men, simply because he thought she had been unfaithful with them. He was in a determined and murderous frame of mind for 24 hours. His brutality and violence were truly shocking.
“He has now been jailed for life and must serve a minimum of 28 years before he can be considered for release. The Crown Prosecution Service would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family of Ms Forrest.”