Manchester Men In Joss Stone Case Have Mental Health Issues

A court's heard 34 year old Kevin Liverpool and 31 year old Junior Bradshaw, who are accused of crimes targeting Joss Stone, have mental health problems and may be unfit to stand trial.

Bradshaw, who the court heard suffers from schizophrenia, has yet to enter a plea to charges of conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to commit GBH and conspiracy to commit robbery and is being held at a secure mental health unit pending further tests.

Exeter Crown Court heard that the mental state of Liverpool, who has already pleaded not guilty to the same charges, was a ``live issue'' and a further psychiatric test was being sought to determine his fitness to stand trial in August.

Prosecutor Simon Morgan told Judge Graham Cottle it may be up to a judge to rule on whether they stand trial.
``It is clear that the defences are not ready for trial and in those circumstances there is no objection to the extension of the custody time limit,'' Mr Morgan said.
``It may be that a judge is asked to judge their fitness to plead.''

Bradshaw and Liverpool, both of St Stephen's Close, Manchester, were arrested on June 13 last year, close to the Devon home of Stone, a friend of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who has an estimated 9 million pound fortune.

The pair were arrested on the St Andrews Estate in Cullompton after being seen acting suspiciously in the area around the village of Langford in a Fiat Punto, several miles from the singer's home near Ashill.

Judge Cottle adjourned proceedings until April 16. A trial has been listed for August 6.