A woman admitted to having an affair and has appeared in court facing allegations of conspiring with her ex-Royal Marine lover to murder her husband. Michelle Mills, aged 46, denied discussing her husband Christopher’s life insurance policy. The court was told that Mills and her lover, Geraint Berry, aged 46, allegedly planned to kill her husband shortly after his £124,000 Help For Heroes policy came into effect.
During her testimony at Swansea Crown Court, Mills stated that she managed the couple’s bank accounts and had no additional savings to cover her husband’s debts. She claimed that they both agreed she was responsible for the finances, and her husband was content with the arrangement. When asked about her husband’s life insurance, Mills stated that they never talked about it.
The court heard that Berry and another former soldier, Steven Thomas, aged 47, who also denies conspiracy to murder, broke into the couple’s caravan in Cenarth, Carmarthenshire, armed with imitation guns in September of the previous year.
Mills described feeling “bullied and dehumanized” by her husband, who had served in the RAF, and expressed intentions to divorce him while engaging in a romantic relationship with Berry, the ex-Royal Marine.
Text messages presented in court revealed that Mills and Berry exchanged over 2,300 messages during their three-month relationship, discussing sexual matters and potential plans to harm her husband. However, Mills claimed that these conversations were purely fantasies.
Despite the incriminating messages, Mills denied any actual intentions to harm her husband, stating that she believed Berry’s actions were merely a reassurance tactic. She messaged Berry to get away after the attack and instructed him to delete all communications, hoping that he would deny involvement.
Following the failed raid on the caravan by Berry and Thomas, the men surrendered to authorities, and a search of their belongings revealed items like gas masks, cable ties, and a fake suicide note intended to frame Mr. Mills.
Berry, residing in Clydach, Swansea Valley, Thomas from Blaengwinfi, Afan Valley, and Mills from Llanelli, all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to murder. Additionally, Mrs. Mills denied attempting to obstruct justice by deleting messages and providing false information to the police.
The trial, scheduled to last three weeks, is ongoing.