I didn’t even want to write about this because it just seems so utterly bizarre. But it really happened – police in England arrested two men who are accused of plotting to kidnap and murder singer/actress Joss Stone. The alleged kidnappers possessed “detailed maps and aerial photos of her rural property in east Devon” as well as “swords, forensic-style overalls… and a body bag.” Oh, and ROPE. The Sun even has a photo of rope, in case you need to see it illustrated. I’m sorry, I’m seriously not making light of this, it sounds so sketchy and scary, and Joss is really lucky that she has paranoid neighbors:
TWO men were being held last night over a suspected plot to rob and murder singer Joss Stone. Cops found swords, rope and a body bag when they swooped on the pair at around 10am yesterday near the star’s isolated country home.
The men, aged 33 and 30, also had detailed maps and aerial photos of her rural property in east Devon. The suspects had travelled from the Manchester area 200 miles away.
Police insiders said they were arrested on suspicion of planning a terrifying raid on Joss, 24, who has a £9million personal fortune.
The alleged plot was foiled by sharp-eyed neighbours who saw two black men acting suspiciously in a red Fiat Punto. The car was being driven slowly around the isolated lanes of the Cullompton area. Police were alerted and took the men to Exeter, where they were being questioned last night.
A 20-strong team of detectives is now working on the case, liaising with colleagues in Manchester. Sources said the car was registered in Manchester but had a different owner. Cops said the men were initially held on suspicion of possession of offensive weapons and being equipped to steal.
Joss, who is close friends with Prince William and was at his wedding to Kate Middleton, is said to be in Britain and being kept informed of developments.
She said today she was “absolutely fine and getting on with life as normal”.
Det Insp Steve Parker said: “The men had information and items that lead us to suspect that they may have intended to commit a criminal offence.”
There was no sign of the singer yesterday at her farmhouse home, where workmen were busy. Joss, among the five top-earning female UK singing stars, is due to go back on tour next month. She has sold over ten million albums and worked with legends such as James Brown, The Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder.
[From The Sun]
Thank goodness she’s safe! And thank goodness the cops were so proactive. This whole thing sounds so sketchy. It’s totally creeping me out that they might have gone through with their plot… at her country house. For some reason, that’s the detail that really bothers me. She would have been out in the country, perhaps her closest neighbor would have been a mile away, and if they had gotten a hold of her, it would have been a really bad situation.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
OOOOOh that’s really scary glad she’s OK the cops stopped them.
How bizarre!! Scary indeed!
Horrific and creepy. I am glad the police caught the creeps.
with swords? No wonder they didn’t get far with this “plan”. LOL
wow! she’s so fortunate…
At first when I heard this story I thought it was a fake because Joss seems like one of those “stars” who is always in need of attention. But I really do believe it and am glad that she is okay. I am quite amazed it was foiled so quickly. Maybe part of the reason it was foiled so smoothly is because Joss is famous; but regardless, job well done to her neighbors and the local police. An aside, Have any of you ever read Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. I read it years ago and it took me a long time to get over it. I really loved the book but could never read it again.
That is really creepy and effed up. It really gets you into thinking about laws that could protect people like Joss Stone in such a situation. For example, when I lived in Scotland, it was the law that even if you were in possession of plans to commit a crime, unless (or one might say, until) the crime is committed, you cannot be charged. In England, however, you can be charged on intent. I used to agree with the Scottish law more, but now I’m rethinking it.
Friggen scary! Well done, neighbors & local police!
yikes. glad she’s ok.
Terrifying! Glad she’s ok.
Shocking news. A big story on the tv news over here.
The most scary part is
Devon’s such an idyllic place to live, you really don’t expect such a horrendous crime to happen there.
Very strange. Good to have neighbors who pay attention to their surroundings.
I’m just gonna say it. The neighbours were suspicious because it was 2 black guys. If they were white they may have not been so alarmed. Also sounds like those guys gave themselves away, acting all sketchy. Good they stopped it though.
Really bizarre scary story, and agreed thank god they were caught and Joss wasn’t home.
Now lets just hope justice is done and they are sent away for a very long time!
@ constance – When gaming nerds who live in mom’s basement plan these things, swords happen.
Now, off with the funny.
This would be terrifying. Thank God for nosy neighbours and police who bothered to follow up on a complaint!
Omgosh that is one of my worst fears! I’m so glad her neighbors called them in and the cops took the call seriously! Wow!
I’m very glad to live next to two of the nosiest people alive–my aunt and mother! Haha. 🙂
Wow, that is incredibly scary!!
Blue – Seriously?? playing the race card when a girls life was threatened? Yeah white guys carrying weapons wouldnt have alarmed the neighbors! plleeaassee! Get over it!
Creepiest story since Crazy Go Nuts University Lisa Nowak drove across the country in a diaper. I had no idea she was only 24! I know she’s still trying to build a life-long career, but so young to deal with something like this. I hope she’s with her folks.
iM GLAD SHE IS OK..I LOVE HER MUSIC..
#18 (Sorry, your name is obscured) The neighbors didn’t know that the men were armed. They just saw two black men riding in a car acting suspiciously. It was fortunate that their suspicion (whether racially motivated or not) and fast acting police officials prevented a tragedy. Would they have called if they were white? Who knows. But Blue just articulated something some of us may have been thinking.
@18 – Yea its not really pulling the race card if those are the facts of the circumstances. They saw two suspicious black dudes. You wanna tell me that’s NOT what it says?
Pulling the race card entails bringing race into an entirely unrelated discussion, not pointing out something that’s in plain text in front of all of our faces. Likes Jaye E said, who knows had they called were the two alleged kidnappers white. One would hope, but let’s not pretend race ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT A DOUBT DID NOT factor into their decision to call the cops. It could have, it could not have. When did people get so naive about the fact that racial bias still exists.
This is terrifying for Joss, but she’s handling it well, and that’s awesome.
I would like to say that, once again, LeAnn Rimes is making stuff about other people all about her…From her Twitter…
leannrimes LeAnn Rimes Cibrian
@ @kylewinkler @tangel84 I have experienced this first hand, twice when I was younger. The “plotting” issue Joss is going through. It’s scary
5 hours ago
I need to stop lurking on her page. It does nothing but piss me off.
Kim, seriously? It would have sounded strange if the reports said that the neighbors reported two ‘white’ men or two Korean men or two Irishmen lurking about. It would have sounded off, don’t you agree? It’s just seemed odd and I noticed it too. Maybe two hooded men. Or two men acting suspiciously. How is it pulling a race card when race was explicitly mentioned? This ‘race card’ thing is a strange one. There has GOT to be a card for people who always mention pulling the race card. As far as the race card goes, can someone who has one tell me how it benefits them? And if does, where can I get one? LOL! On a very serious note, I am very glad that Joss is okay.
It’s huge news in the UK. Don’t get me wrong, the girl has always irritated me, but really? I could understand why someone might rob her but kill her too.
On the subject of cars behaving suspiciously and reporting them in the uk, the police are really good. Two men with machetes broke into our house a couple of months ago (they got the wrong house)and the following friday an audi pulled up outside, we were terrified, called the police, they were there 4 mins later, held them and searched the car. I was really impressed they didn’t mess about.
StopKiddingYourself, hilarious!!
If they were threatening to kidnap and murder Katie Price, would it have been considered a crime?
Yeah, I think they noticed because they were black, too. Isn’t Devon quite, well, white? Unless they were sitting in the car holding the swords up past the windows, how could anyone see that they were armed? Either way, I’m glad they were caught.
@Yasmine, are you serious? That sounds really weird. Surely you could be charged if you were stopped in the process of actually starting to commit the crime though?
Capote, Sharon Tate, anyone else scared to live on an isolated property miles from other neighbors and the police? I would never live out in the country. Sorry! I think it’s beautiful, I know people who live on isolated land and love it, I love to visit them, but under no circumstances could I go to bed without one eye open. I recently went to a country home and the entire surrounding area was completely dark after sundown. If someone wanted to they could have stormed the place with guns or knives and we’d be goners because no one would be around to hear our screams. Maybe that is the risk people are willing to take for peace and quiet and I know cities are dangerous too, but I feel better knowing that maybe, just maybe, someone might help me or at least be able to identify suspects if something were to happen to me. I’m glad Joss is safe.
Kibbles, I would imagine most people who live in isolated country houses are armed, at least in the United States. I’ve always been a city girl with no firearms, ha ha. I’ve often dreamed of living in the country BUT if really isolated would definitely want some sort of protection available. (And my husband better be able to deal with it, because I have no experience with firearms.)
@Kibbles I agree with you, I could never leave in the country, I would be scared to death all the time!!!
Stop with the race card, it’s so boring and ridiculous. Accusing neighbors of calling police because they saw black people, not suspicious looking people wielding swords is plainly offensive. If black people commit crimes, they won’t be explained by being a minority.
@sammigirl…..i too saw that leann rimes was looking for attention for herself through this horrific could have been crime!! Ridiculous….NO WONDER BRANDI IS SO FRUSTRATED!!! i would be scared outta my wits to leave my sons in this maniacs care!!
seriously kasper,
they weren’t just wielding swords. they were lurking about the (assumed rather white) neighbourhood in a car “looking suspicious”. i’d like to imagine the neighbours would have called the cops regardless of race, but let’s not pretend race issues don’t exist at all. and as someone else pointed out above, it’s not “pulling the race card” when the race of the criminals is plainly spelled out in the text.
that’s what i thought was bizarre, that the article bothered to mention their race at all. if it hadn’t been for that, i never would have assumed race had anything to do with it.
though in the end, whatever helped save joss is a good thing in this instance i guess. glad she’s safe.
Can someone contact Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton please!
There are few non whites living in the Devon area, even fewer would be seen in the street that Joss Stone lives in.