Robert Massey jailed for murder of Jaki Forest

Robert Massey, aged 43, of Piele Road, Haydock, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 28 years before he is eligible for parole after pleading guilty to the murder of his partner Jaki Forest, aged 49.

Massey also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Anthony Paul Murphy and Graham Roberts, who he believed Jaki had sexual relations with.

Massey pleaded guilty to a fourth charge of possessing a bladed article - a pair of scissors - which he purchased and used in the attempted murder of Mr Roberts.

Jaki Forest was murdered (Image: Social media)

Prosecution evidence

Harrowing details of the case were heard in court today.

Prosecuting, Andrew Ford KC told Liverpool Crown Court: “Mr Massey murdered Jacqueline Forest in her own home at around 7pm on Tuesday, August 30.

“He did it because he believed she had been unfaithful to him with the two men he attempted to kill the next day.”

Mr Ford described how Massey had been in a relationship with Ms Forest since 2020 and lived with her at her flat for some of that time.

On August 15 he had been given an imposed inclusion banning him from approaching Ms Forrest’s address for 28 days; however 14 days later she was killed there.

Mr Ford described the "macabre" murder and "defilement" of Ms Forest stating that: “On the evening of August 27 to August 28, the defendant met with Ms Forest in a nearby park.

"They spent the next few days together using her flat as a base.

“At 7pm on the evening of August 30 Massey was lying naked on the bed as Ms Forest was in the shower and he read her phone messages which he took to being her being unfaithful to him and as he described it he ‘saw red’.

“After the shower he grabbed Ms Forest by the neck and strangled her on the bed straddling her.”

He added that when police later asked how long his hands were around her neck, Massey replied “a long time”.

He then decided to dress Ms Forest later telling police that he "ruined her beautiful face, she always looked so pretty".

Flowers left outside the flat where Jaki was killed (Image: St Helens Star)

He placed a towel on her, dressed her in Moschino shoes, put a handbag on her arm, sunglasses on her face and jewellery on her body.

The prosecutor told the court how Massey, having murdered Ms Forest, left the flat withdrawing £500 from her account.

He spent £400 on cocaine which he took to her flat after returning for several hours.

Mr Ford added: “While in her home he found a used pregnancy test and grabbed a kitchen knife and deliberately stabbed her womb. There is no evidence that she was pregnant."

Massey then took up a green pen and wrote ‘My Best Mate’ above the wound and on her left thigh wrote a derogatory term and on the right ‘Baby’.

Mr Ford said: “Ms Forest died as a result of a violent assault consistent with the account of throttling.”

The court then heard how, having killed Jaki and dressed and marked her body, he sent a text to Anthony Murphy.

Messaging him by using Ms Forest’s phone and pretending to be her, he then proceeded to lure Mr Murphy to her flat the next day.

While messaging Murphy, the court heard how Massey also sent a text to Ms Critchley, a woman he believed was in a relationship with Mr Murphy, accusing him of having sexual relations with Jaki.

It read: "I came home early and he jumped out of the window which I’m impressed with because we are three floors up.

“He’s probably dead now. No one f***s my fiancee.”

After luring Mr Murphy to the flat, Mr Ford revealed that he showed him Ms Forest’s body saying “look what you caused”.

Mr Ford described how then Mr Murphy raised his hands to defend himself as Massey was “going for his ears with a knife. And he stabbed him several times in the torso and to the neck and he [Murphy] felt blood run down his face and went into panic mode".

He added: “Massey planned to throw Murphy out of the bedroom window however Murphy ran down the stairs and an ambulance was called.”

Murphy was taken to hospital seriously injured, with three stab wounds to the back and two to the neck.

He had surgery including a neck drain and surgical repair to his diaphragm and spleen.

A consultant said he was brought to the hospital in a "life-threatening condition".

The court then heard how cameras showed Massey leaving Haydock after buying vodka and cider.

He then took a bus to St Helens at 9.30am before travelling to Prescot, where he visited several pubs.

Mr Ford described how: “He stopped at a shop to buy a knife but the shop didn’t sell any so instead he bought scissors in Norris Green.”

Massey travelled here with the intent to kill Mr Roberts, who he had been friends with for 20 years. The court heard how Roberts told police he had had a “one night stand with Jaki Forest when the pair had separated.”

Massey attended Roberts place of work on Long Lane at around 6pm on August 31.

On arriving at the office he is reported having said “I’m going to kill you” before producing scissors adding “I’m going to kill you if you think you can get away with this".

CCTV was shown to the court showing how Roberts fled from his work down the street chased by Massey who stabbed him with scissors, resulting in injuries to his torso.

Mr Ford quoted a witness to the attack, who stated that during this Massey said: “I’m doing 20 years anyway I’ve killed two people already".

Roberts made his escape in a taxi and Massey was soon after arrested by police where he gave a full confession.

CCTV was also shown of Massey kicking the flat door two weeks prior and the victim Ms Forest screaming for him to stop.

Mr Ford added: “What he did [to Ms Forrest] was macabre and amounted to defiling her.

“He was in a murderous frame of mind.”

Judge Cummings sentenced Massey to life behind bars and imposed a term of 28 years before he is eligible for parole.

Massey who appeared in the dock in a grey T-shirt appeared emotionless throughout.

Police reaction

Reacting to the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Allison Woods said: “This was a truly shocking and brutal assault which led to the tragic death of Jacqueline Forest in her own home.

“Nobody can begin to understand the impact the circumstances and fact of her sudden death has had on her family and friends.

“Nobody can begin to understand the impact the circumstances and fact of her sudden death has had on her family and friends.

“Nothing can bring Jacqueline back but I hope that the prison sentence Massey must now serve will give them a sense of justice and allow them to finally move on with their lives.

“Merseyside Police continues to do everything it can to tackle all violence against women and girls and we will do everything in our power to support victims, target perpetrators and reduce violence by ensuring victims of domestic abuse feel believed and supported when they report offending to us.

“Domestic abuse is a complex issue and can take many forms. It can be psychological, financial, sexual, emotional and physical and we want to raise awareness of the support that is available to anyone who is or has experienced domestic abuse or has been affected by it so that nobody else has to suffer or silence or go through what they have been through.

“We work closely with local domestic support organisations, local authorities, safeguarding teams and charities to ensure that services and ongoing support are available, including access to refuges.

“We have a number of specialist departments within the police to investigate these crimes but it’s important that we all work together to support survivors and collectively work to prevent these crimes occurring in the first place by raising awareness.”