Robert Massey, aged 43, of Piele Road, Haydock, was jailed for life with a minimum of 28 years before being eligible for parole after pleading guilty to murdering his partner Jaki Forest, 49. Massey also pleaded guilty to the attempted murders of Anthony Paul Murphy and Graham Roberts, with whom he believed Jaki had sexual relations. Massey pleaded guilty to a fourth charge of possessing a bladed object – a pair of scissors – which he bought and used in the attempted murder of Mr Roberts. What Forrest was murdered (Image: Social Media)
Prosecution evidence Tragic details of the case were heard in court today. Prosecuting, Andrew Ford KC told Liverpool Crown Court: “Mr Massey murdered Jacqueline Forest at her home at around 7pm on Tuesday, August 30. “He did it because he thought she was unfaithful to him with the two men he tried to kill the next day.” Mr Ford described how Massey had been in a relationship with Ms Forest since 2020 and had been living with her at her flat for some time. On August 15 he was issued with a restraining order banning him from going near Ms Forrest’s address for 28 days. however 14 days later he was killed there. Mr Ford described the ‘grisly’ murder and ‘infestation’ of Ms Forrest, saying: ‘On the evening of August 27 to 28, the defendant met Ms Forrest 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 in bed as Ms Forrest was in the shower reading her phone messages which he believed to be unfaithful to him and as he described it he ‘saw red’. “After the shower he grabbed Mrs Forrest by the throat and strangled her on the bed which was hugging her.” He added that when police later asked how far his hands were around her neck, Massey replied “a long time”. He then decided to dress Ms Forrest later telling police it “ruined her beautiful face, she always looked so beautiful”. Flowers were left outside the apartment where Jackie was killed (Image: St Helens Star) He placed a towel on her, dressed her in Moschino shoes, put a bag in her hand, sunglasses on her face and jewelry on her body. The prosecutor told the court how Massey, having murdered Ms Forrest, 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 at home she found a used pregnancy test and grabbed a kitchen knife and deliberately stabbed her uterus. There is no evidence that she was pregnant.” Massey then took a green pen and wrote ‘My Best Mate’ over the wound and on the left thigh she wrote a derogatory term and on the right ‘Baby’. Mr Ford said: “Ms Forrest died as a result of a violent attack consistent with an account of strangulation.” The court then heard how, having killed Jaki and dressed and branded her body, he sent a message to Anthony Murphy. Texting him using Mrs Forrest’s phone and pretending to be her, she then lured Murphy to her flat the next day. As he texted Murphy, the court heard how Massey also texted Ms Critchley, a woman he believed to be in a relationship with Mr Murphy, accusing him of having sex with Jaki. It read: “I came home early and he jumped out of the window which surprised me because we are three floors up. “He’s probably dead now. No one is my fiance.” After luring Murphy into the flat, Ford revealed he showed him Mrs Forrest’s body saying “look what you’ve caused”. Mr Ford described how Murphy then put his hands up to defend himself as Massey “went to his ears with a knife. And he also stabbed him several times in the torso and neck [Murphy] he felt blood running down his face and panicked.” He added: “Massey planned to throw Murphy from the bedroom window, however Murphy ran down the stairs and an ambulance was called.” Murphy was taken to hospital with serious injuries, with three stab wounds to the back and two to the neck. He underwent surgery that included a neck drain and surgical repair to his diaphragm and spleen. A consultant said he was taken to hospital in a “life-threatening condition”. The court then heard how the cameras showed Massey leaving the Haydock after buying vodka and cider. He then took a bus to St. Helena at 9.30am. before traveling 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 he bought scissors at Norris Green.” Massey traveled here with the intention of killing Mr Roberts, who he had been friends with for 20 years. The court heard how Roberts told police he had “one night with Jackie Forrest when the couple had broken up”. Massey attended Roberts’ workplace on Long Lane at around 6pm. on August 31. Arriving at the office he is reported to have said “I’ll kill you” before producing scissors adding “I’ll kill you if you think you can get away with it”. CCTV was shown to the court showing how Roberts left work in the street chased by Massey who stabbed him with a pair of scissors, leaving him injured in the torso. Mr Ford quoted a witness to the attack as saying that during the attack Massey said: “I’m 20 years old anyway, I’ve already killed two people.” Roberts made his escape in a taxi and Massey was arrested soon after by the police where he made a full confession. The CCTV also showed Massey kicking the door of the flat two weeks earlier and the victim Ms Forrest screaming for him to stop. Mr Ford added: “What he did [to Ms Forrest] it was macabre and tantamount to desecrating her. “He was in a murderous mood.” Judge Cummings sentenced Massey to life in prison and imposed a 28-year sentence before being eligible for parole. Massey, who appeared in the dock in a gray T-shirt, appeared emotionless.
Police reaction Reacting to the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Alison Woods said: “This was a truly shocking and brutal attack which led to the tragic death of Jacqueline Forrest in her own home. “No one can begin to understand the impact the circumstances and the fact of her sudden death had on her family and friends. “No one can begin to understand the impact the circumstances and the fact of her sudden death had on her family and friends. “Nothing can bring Jacqueline back, but I hope the prison sentence Massey now has to serve will give them a sense of justice and allow them to finally get 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 we can to support victims, target perpetrators and reduce violence by ensuring that victims of domestic abuse feel believed and supported when they report their offending. “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 available to anyone who has experienced or been affected by domestic abuse so that no one else has to suffer or stay silent or step in from what they have been through. “We are working closely with local domestic support organisations, local authorities, conservation groups and charities to ensure services and ongoing support are available, including access to shelters. “We have a number of specialist departments in the police to investigate these crimes but it is important that we all work together to support survivors and work collectively to prevent these crimes happening in the first place by raising awareness.”
