moneyfrom Simon, her ex-husband. It was supposed to be the first down payment on the £ 4,000 he owed her as part of their divorce settlement. Funny how the other £ 3,000 had never materialised though she lost track of the number of times she’d asked him about it. He’d been going out practically every night so it wasn’t as if he couldn’t afford it. Well, she wasn’t married to him any more and he’d messed her about for the very last time. As she slipped the bulging envelope into her handbag, Yvette wondered what Simon would say had he known just how she planned to spend the money he’d given her.
* * * * *
Making her way through Nottingham City Centre with her boyfriend Wayne Briscoe, Yvette noticed he looked ill at ease with his unhealthy complexion even more pasty-looking than normal.
‘You sure he’s going to be there?’ she asked him again.
He nodded curtly.
As they approached Chambers Bar at the corner of Maid Marian Way, the karaoke for which it was famous was already in full swing and someone was belting out the words to an old R&B classic. Chambers was one of Yvette and Wayne’s regular haunts and normally the couple would have gone in for a drink and to have a good giggle at the singers, but tonight they weren’t in any mood for socialising.
‘Is that him?’ whispered Yvette, indicating the bouncer standing outside the entrance to the bar. Once again Wayne nodded.
The man on the door was Thomas Convery. Wayne, who’d also worked as a bouncer, had come across him through work. He didn’t know him that well, but he knew his reputation. If you wanted something doing that wasn’t exactly legal, Thomas Convery was your man – as long as you had the cash to make it worth his while. With her heart hammering hard, Yvette edged towards the dour-looking doorman.
‘I’ve heard you’re the sort of person who’ll do, erm, certain things for money,’ she said, agitatedly. Thomas gazed at her coldly. He knew exactly what she was talking about, but he gave nothing away. ‘I assume these things you’re talking about are illegal?’ he asked. Yvette’s nerves made her talk faster than normal as she agreed and then went on to explain what she wanted. ‘I need someone killed,’ she said, the words tumbling out in a rush.
Her request was really quite simple. She wanted Thomas Convery to kill her ex husband. The bouncer listened as Yvette recounted her story. Then he had a question:‘How will I know what he looks like?’ Wayne and Yvette looked at one another. This part was easy. ‘Come here,’ Yvette commanded. She led the way to a window that looked from the street into the bar and then she pointed to a man sitting inside. ‘That’s him,’ she said. ‘That’s Simon.’ Converystared in at the man he’d been told to kill. He recognised him as a regular in the bar. He’d always been friendly, jovial even. Still, business was business. ‘OK,’ he assented.
After that there were a few details to thrash out. Thomas Convery’s price tag for murder turned out to be £ 30,000. Yvette arranged that she would put the money she had received for her unofficial divorce settlement as a down payment and would pay the rest when Simon’s house was sold following his death. She had worked out that his house was worth over £ 200,000. Even after the mortgage had been paid off there’d be the best part of £ 100,000 left. In addition, she and Wayne committed to providing Convery with the murder weapon plus a diagram of the layout of Simon’s house and a breakdown of his daily routine.
That was the summer of 2003. The next time Yvette and Wayne met with Thomas Convery – at another bar where he was working – they had with them the envelope stuffed with cash. It was the £ 1,000 Simon Luffman had gave to his ex-wife. In effect, he was bankrolling his own execution.
Yvette wanted the murder carried out before 23 October. On that day she was due to give evidence against her ex-husband in
* * * * *
Making her way through Nottingham City Centre with her boyfriend Wayne Briscoe, Yvette noticed he looked ill at ease with his unhealthy complexion even more pasty-looking than normal.
‘You sure he’s going to be there?’ she asked him again.
He nodded curtly.
As they approached Chambers Bar at the corner of Maid Marian Way, the karaoke for which it was famous was already in full swing and someone was belting out the words to an old R&B classic. Chambers was one of Yvette and Wayne’s regular haunts and normally the couple would have gone in for a drink and to have a good giggle at the singers, but tonight they weren’t in any mood for socialising.
‘Is that him?’ whispered Yvette, indicating the bouncer standing outside the entrance to the bar. Once again Wayne nodded.
The man on the door was Thomas Convery. Wayne, who’d also worked as a bouncer, had come across him through work. He didn’t know him that well, but he knew his reputation. If you wanted something doing that wasn’t exactly legal, Thomas Convery was your man – as long as you had the cash to make it worth his while. With her heart hammering hard, Yvette edged towards the dour-looking doorman.
‘I’ve heard you’re the sort of person who’ll do, erm, certain things for money,’ she said, agitatedly. Thomas gazed at her coldly. He knew exactly what she was talking about, but he gave nothing away. ‘I assume these things you’re talking about are illegal?’ he asked. Yvette’s nerves made her talk faster than normal as she agreed and then went on to explain what she wanted. ‘I need someone killed,’ she said, the words tumbling out in a rush.
Her request was really quite simple. She wanted Thomas Convery to kill her ex husband. The bouncer listened as Yvette recounted her story. Then he had a question:‘How will I know what he looks like?’ Wayne and Yvette looked at one another. This part was easy. ‘Come here,’ Yvette commanded. She led the way to a window that looked from the street into the bar and then she pointed to a man sitting inside. ‘That’s him,’ she said. ‘That’s Simon.’ Converystared in at the man he’d been told to kill. He recognised him as a regular in the bar. He’d always been friendly, jovial even. Still, business was business. ‘OK,’ he assented.
After that there were a few details to thrash out. Thomas Convery’s price tag for murder turned out to be £ 30,000. Yvette arranged that she would put the money she had received for her unofficial divorce settlement as a down payment and would pay the rest when Simon’s house was sold following his death. She had worked out that his house was worth over £ 200,000. Even after the mortgage had been paid off there’d be the best part of £ 100,000 left. In addition, she and Wayne committed to providing Convery with the murder weapon plus a diagram of the layout of Simon’s house and a breakdown of his daily routine.
That was the summer of 2003. The next time Yvette and Wayne met with Thomas Convery – at another bar where he was working – they had with them the envelope stuffed with cash. It was the £ 1,000 Simon Luffman had gave to his ex-wife. In effect, he was bankrolling his own execution.
Yvette wanted the murder carried out before 23 October. On that day she was due to give evidence against her ex-husband in
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