A woman and her lover have been handed lengthy prison sentences for conspiring to murder her husband in a bid to claim a substantial life insurance payout of £124,000.
The Devious Plot Unravels
Michelle Mills, 46, and Geraint Berry, a 46-year-old former marine, were each sentenced to 19 years in prison at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday, December 19. The judge described their scheme as a "devious, callous and murderous plot." The court heard that the pair hatched the plan just weeks after a £124,000 Help For Heroes life insurance policy for Mr. Christopher Mills came into effect.
Their plan was put into motion in September 2024, when two masked men armed with imitation firearms attacked Christopher Mills inside a caravan he shared with his wife at a holiday park in Cenarth, Carmarthenshire. In a remarkable act of self-defence, Mr. Mills managed to disarm and fight off the intruders, who then fled the scene. Initially treated as an armed robbery, the investigation took a dramatic turn following crucial discoveries.
Chilling Evidence and Failed Schemes
When police searched Berry, they found a rucksack containing gas masks, cable-tie handcuffs, and a fake suicide note purportedly written by Christopher Mills to his wife. Text messages exchanged between Mills and Berry immediately before and after the attack further sealed their fate.
Georgia Jones from the Crown Prosecution Service stated, "The evidence painted a clear picture, showing that the two defendants had been discussing different ways of killing Mr Mills over the weeks leading up to the attack." During their three-month affair, the couple had considered several murder methods, including:
- Smothering him with a pillow.
- Poisoning his salad with foxgloves.
- Adding antifreeze to his gravy.
Their text conversations, shown to jurors, also spoke of their love for each other and desire to be together.
Lasting Trauma and Justice Served
In a victim impact statement, Christopher Mills expressed how "devastated" he was to learn the calculating nature of the plot, which was a "complete shock." He said, "This has pretty much ruined my life," revealing he suffers from ongoing stress and anxiety, has lost his job as a case manager with Help for Heroes, and bears physical scars from the attack. He also refuted allegations of domestic abuse made by his now former partner.
Detective Inspector Sam Gregory of Ceredigion CID noted the bizarre elements of the case, which evolved from a simple assault report to a complex murder conspiracy. Michelle Mills was found guilty of conspiracy to murder and perverting the course of justice after a trial in October, while Berry was convicted of conspiracy to murder. Both had denied the charges.
A third suspect, Steven Thomas, a former marine who played a "subservient role," was sentenced to 12 months for possession of an imitation firearm. Berry received an additional 18-month term for the same firearm offence. Mills will serve two-thirds of her sentence in custody before release on licence.
