A woman who was cheating on her husband was seen laughing as the police apprehended her for collaborating with her ex-Royal Marine lover to fabricate a suicide letter from her spouse as part of a murder scheme.
Michelle Mills, aged 46, and her clandestine lover, Geraint Berry, also 46, have been convicted of devising a twisted plan to murder Christopher Mills to progress their three-month affair. During the trial, evidence was presented of a false suicide letter where her husband purportedly confessed to assaulting and raping her before taking his own life.
However, the court revealed that the letter was a fake, as the duo exchanged 2,301 messages discussing suffocating him with a pillow, poisoning his food with foxgloves or anti-freeze. Eventually, they decided to stage Mr. Mills’ murder during a simulated armed raid on their caravan in Cenarth, Carmarthenshire, last year.
The counterfeit suicide note, addressed to “Dear Bab,” Mrs. Mills’ nickname, detailed fake confessions of abuse and rape. A sealed envelope found on Mr. Berry contained a fabricated suicide note supposedly written by her husband.
PC Jack Herbert mentioned that the forged letter contained an “apology” to Mrs. Mills with false admissions of assault and rape. Mrs. Mills alleged that her husband restricted her movements and delayed her departure for work.
Photographs of the crime scene displayed a collection of alarming items like gas masks, cable ties, balaclavas, and firearms allegedly prepared by Berry, who stands at 6ft4ins, and his accomplice Steven Thomas, 47. The prosecution stated that the murder plot unfurled shortly after Mr. Mills became the sole beneficiary of a £124,000 life insurance policy from Help 4 Heroes.
Prosecutor Jonathan Rees KC highlighted that Berry, driven by jealousy, became increasingly explicit in messages about killing Mr. Mills, while Mills fueled his aggression. Berry vowed in messages to bury Mr. Mills and make it appear as suicide.
After the failed attack where Mr. Mills defended himself, Berry and Thomas fled but were later apprehended. Police discovered incriminating items in their possession, including gas masks, cable ties, and a telescopic gun sight.
A fabricated “suicide note” addressed to Mrs. Mills was also uncovered. Mills claimed she viewed the plan as a fantasy and only intended to divorce her husband, denying any intention to kill him.
Mr. Mills, unaware of his wife’s affair, was shocked when arrested following the orchestrated attack. He denied any violence towards his wife and expressed disbelief at the unfolding events.
Berry, Thomas, and Mills denied conspiracy to murder and await sentencing, facing a possible five-year prison term as per Mr. Justice Nicklin KC.
