Sports Direct worker ‘tried to hire hitman’
Store employee allegedly posted advert on dark web offering £1,000 for death of colleague and love rival
A SPORTS DIRECT worker attempted to hire a hitman to murder her colleague after competing for the romantic attention of their general manager, a court heard.
Whitney Franks, 26, was “rampantly jealous” when Ruut Ruutna joined the branch of the sports retailer in Milton Keynes and started an affair with James Prest, the manager, whom Ms Franks was dating. A court heard that Ms Franks then decided to solicit the murder of Ms Ruutna on the dark web using cryptocurrency and an offer of £1,000 or “more”.
However, her posting for the hitman, which included Ms Ruutna’s home address and personal details, was seen by a BBC investigative journalist who tipped off the police.
Ms Franks is on trial for soliciting to murder at Reading Crown Court.
Andrew Copeland, prosecuting, told the jury yesterday: “They were not only work colleagues but love rivals of James Prest and both were romantically involved with him at the same time. Both knew James Prest had a long-term partner with two young children. They were not concerned about that, but were concerned about each other … He tried to play them off against each other.”
The court heard that Mr Prest joined the branch in August 2014 and that a year later, Ms Franks began working there as well. By 2016, they had become romantically involved and the relationship continued until Ms Ruutna joined the branch in 2017.
The prosecutor described Mr Prest’s relationships with both women as “episodic”, adding that Ms Franks left to work in a nearby branch in Bletchley in 2018. He added: “By 2020 James Prest would, while his partner and children were in bed, frequently leave his house and go to Ruut Ruutna’s house. On Aug 17 2020, Whitney Franks showed up at the Milton Keynes Sports Direct. It wasn’t a work-related visit, but personal. James Prest was clearly upset and she made a comment about him sneaking around at night.”
Mr Copeland told the court that on Sept 1 2020, Ms Franks sent an email to Mr Prest pleading with him to give her another chance. It read: “I can give you the entire world James, if you can give me a chance I think you could be the happiest you have ever been in your life. I truly mean it. I hope you’re doing well inside and out. I have been trying to sort out my anxiety.”
The next day, police were contacted by Carl Miller, a BBC investigative journalist, who had been doing research into the dark web and had stumbled across Ms Franks’s post advertising for a hitman. Mr Copeland said: “On the website was a message, including Ruut Ruutna’s address in Milton Keynes, Facebook profile and description. The defendant has not denied she wrote this. It read: ‘I’m looking for the murder of a woman. I have £1,000 and I am willing to pay more. This woman has caused a lot of problems for myself and others. Please can you help sort this out.’”
The prosecutor explained how Ms Franks had set up a cryptocurrency account, allowing her to make anonymous purchases online. She had bought £282.57 worth of bitcoin on Aug 20, but three days later withdrew the funds.
When contacted by the police, Ms Ruutna said she had a “hunch” who it might be and named Ms Franks.
Ms Franks was arrested on Sept 10 and insisted that she had just wanted to “examine” if the dark web was a “scam”.
The 26-year-old, denied one count of soliciting murder between Aug 17 and Sept 1, 2020. The trial continues.