Horrifying video shows the moment Liam Smith was shot... after murderer prowled outside his house
23.08.2023 - 17:47
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
This is the horrifying moment Liam Smith was shot outside his home in Wigan.
His killer, Michael Hillier, had been scoping out the address on Kilburn Drive for up to 10 hours beforehand.
Caught on CCTV and dashcam footage of a passing bin lorry, he can be seen watching and waiting, planning his deadly move.
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Following a lengthy trial, Hillier, 39, and his ex-partner, Rachel Fulstow, have been found guilty of his murder. Fulstow, 37, was also convicted of perverting the course of justice.
They will both be sentenced tomorrow at Minshull Street Crown Court, and both face life imprisonment.
In November last year, Mr Smith was shot in the face at point blank range before having sulphuric acid and soda crystals thrown over his body by Hillier. He told jurors he was carrying out ‘vigilante justice’ following allegations from Fulstow that Mr Smith had ‘raped’ her years earlier after a Tinder date.
In footage, shared by Greater Manchester Police, the chilling sound of a gunshot can be heard playing over the darkness of Mr Smith’s home.
Pictures of Hillier arrogantly holding two shotguns above his head, along with other footage of him scoping out Mr Smith’s house in a Mitsubishi Shogun, which police had recovered from a passing bin lorry and Asda delivery van.
Other videos show Hillier wearing a high-vis jacket as he marches back and forth to Mr Smith’s house. Moments later he launched the horrific attack.
DCI Gina Brennand of GMP's Major Incident Team, details the police investigation, and how they rumbled Hillier and Fulstow’s devious plan.
“This is a proper whodunnit from the start where I had a victim that we knew nothing about. No witnesses, no