The Murder of Phillip Nicholson
For this case, I watched an episode of 10 Steps to Murder on Peacock. It’s season 1 episode 6.
A young man with learning disabilities is killed by people he called his friends.
Background
Phillip Nicholson was born to parents, Chris and Michelle. Phillip was born with learning disabilities and was diagnosed with global developmental delay. Phillip struggled to know and understand what was going on around him and interacting with people. By the time he was 22, he wanted to move out of his parent’s home and have a chance at being independent.
Phillip was very close to his parents and to his grandfather. His parents said Phillip was always smiling, which made everyone around him smile.
Phillip Nicholson
A Chance at Freedom
By 2013, Phillip was 22 and wanted to move out of his parent’s home. He moved into supportive living in Bournemouth, Dorset. Phillip’s flat was among several others. His parents said that the other tenants would look after each other, so they believed that Phillip was safe.
Phillip spoke to his parents on the phone every day and expressed that he was lonely. Besides this, things were going well for Phillip, that was until he met a woman named Isabella Gossling on an app.
Isabella came across as being a nice person. She was living in Yeovil, which meant Phillip would travel about an hour by train to see her.
Phillip’s parents and the Poole Council Adult Safeguarding Services were both alerted that Isabella was abusing Phillip, and bullying him for money.
Isabella had atypical autism and had 2 personality disorders. It was said that it was difficult for her to relate to other people and that she was bullied. Isabella became a bully and an abuser.
A Love Triangle
In the summer of 2014, Isabella also began seeing a man named Richard Moors.
Richard was known to the police as being someone who targeted vulnerable people. He was also often homeless and would manipulate people for a place to stay and other things that he needed.
When Phillip’s parents learned about this, they tried to convince Phillip to cut off all communication with Isabella. However, Phillip refused.
The abuse from Isabella escalated when she began seeing Richard. Phillip’s dad learned that he was receiving horrible and threatening text messages. They were texting Phillip to dig his own grave and threatening to kill him.
They treated Phillip as their personal bank account. Isabella had taken Phillip to the bank and took a card out in her name. They stole 800 pounds ($1,016.32 in U.S. Dollars) of his money.
The Escalation
In September 2014, Phillip tried to tell Isabella that he was done with their relationship. But, Isabella became pregnant and told Phillip that the baby was his, while also telling Richard that he was the father.
The only way that Isabella, Richard, and their baby could be a family was to get rid of Phillip.
Richard continued to send Phillip messages saying to leave Isabella alone or he’d kill him. They isolated Phillip from his parents and sent horrible text messages to his parents from Phillip’s phone.
Phillip’s parents said that Phillip had stopped eating, shaving, and cleaning up his flat.
Before the murder, in two separate incidents, Isabella lured Phillip to her flat with a ruse that a woman named Amy wanted to meet him. Isabella and Richard held Phillip hostage. Phillip was able to escape once out the bedroom window and contact his parents to pick him up.
The Murder
On May 26, 2015, Isabella and Richard lured Phillip to Isabella’s flat.
They began texting Phillip around 2 am. They again told him that Amy wanted to meet him.
The three of them were captured on CCTV footage (which you can find on the episode of 10 Steps to Murder or on Youtube). Isabella and Richard picked Phillip up after he got off the bus. Based on his body language, Phillip seemed hesitant and afraid. He walked slowly behind them.
Phillip was attacked almost immediately after entering Isabella’s flat. Isabella recorded the attack on her phone.
Isabella had been telling Richard that Phillip had raped her. They took him into the bedroom and forced him to confess to raping Isabella. On the recording, Isabella told Richard to do what he had to do.
Phillip was stabbed twice in the back of the neck. He could be heard begging for his life and saying that he just wanted to be their friend.
On the recording, Richard asked Phillip if he was dead yet. Isabella told Phillip to get off her bed as he was bleeding on it.
The recording lasted 17 minutes.
After Phillip was dead, the recording continued. They spoke about what they were going to do with his body and spoke about making it look like a suicide.
After tossing the knife into the sink, Isabella and Richard left the flat. They were captured on CCTV footage walking to the bus hand in hand. Richard proposed to Isabella that night.
The Convictions
When they were arrested, Richard confessed. Isabella blamed the entire murder on Richard.
On November 23, 2015, Isabella went on trial. She pled not guilty.
The prosecution spoke about the abuse that Phillip endured and how it had escalated when Richard came into their lives. They spoke about the text messages and about how Phillip had been held hostage on multiple occasions.
On December 14, 2015, Isabella Gossling was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. She will be eligible for parole after serving 19 years.
Richard Moors was also sentenced to life in prison. He will be eligible for parole after serving 22 years.
Gossling and Moors have been compared to Fred and Rose West, who were serial killers in the U.K., and accused of killing at least 9 women between 1983 and 1987.
Isabella Gossling and Richard Moors
FINAL THOUGHTS
Phillip was failed by every single person. Phillip told several social workers that he had been held hostage by Isabella and Richard. No one reported it to the police. Isabella and Richard also had disabilities, but the fact that they recorded everything is wild. They sealed their fate and thank God they can’t hurt anyone else.
Sources
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-47569325
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-35092644
https://www.murderuk.com/isabella-gossling-richard-moors.html
https://news.sky.com/story/truly-evil-couple-jailed-for-sick-murder-10336068
